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Case Reports
. 2024 Dec;23(6):2629-2637.
doi: 10.1007/s12311-024-01721-x. Epub 2024 Jul 15.

COVID-19-Associated Cerebellitis: A Case Report and Rehabilitation Outcome

Roberto Tedeschi  1 , Vincenza Amoruso  2 , Valentina Boetto  3 , Davide Glorioso  4 , Lucia D'Auria  5 , Danilo Donati  5   6
Affiliations
Case Reports

COVID-19-Associated Cerebellitis: A Case Report and Rehabilitation Outcome

Roberto Tedeschi et al. Cerebellum. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought attention to neurological complications, including cerebellitis, characterized by inflammation of the cerebellum. Despite its rare occurrence, cerebellitis has been associated with COVID-19 infection, albeit the pathogenic mechanisms remain unclear.

Case report: We present the case of a 22-year-old male with acute onset ataxia and dysarthria during a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Diagnostic evaluations ruled out other causes, confirming cerebellitis. Treatment included steroid therapy, vitamin supplementation, physiotherapy, and intravenous immunoglobulins. Rehabilitation focused on enhancing balance, coordination, and daily activities. The patient showed significant improvement in functional abilities, with increased autonomy in daily activities and improved ambulation. Despite persistent mild symptoms, the multidisciplinary rehabilitation approach led to remarkable progress.

Conclusions: This case underscores the importance of recognizing and managing neurological complications, such as cerebellitis, in COVID-19 patients. A comprehensive approach combining medical treatment and rehabilitation is essential for optimizing outcomes. Further research is needed to elucidate the pathogenesis and optimal management strategies for such complications.

Keywords: COVID-19; Cerebellitis; Multidisciplinary approach; Neurological complications; Rehabilitation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethical Approval: The study received approval from our institutional ethics committee. The participant provided informed consent in accordance with our institution’s policy on data collection and disclosure. Further ethical review was deemed unnecessary as no personally identifiable information was collected or stored. Informed Consent: Informed consent has been obtained from all individuals included in this study. Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

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Computed Tomography (TC) Brain
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Magnetic ResonanceIimaging (RMN) Brain
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Sequences FLAIR
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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