Am J Phys Med Rehabil
. 2020 Sep 28.
doi: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000001607. Online ahead of print.
Unilateral Hypoglossal Nerve Palsy as a Covid-19 sequel: a case report
Daniela Costa Martins 1 , Sofia Branco Ribeiro 2 , Isabel Jesus Pereira 2 3 , Susana Mestre 1 , Jonathan Rios 1 4
Affiliations
- PMID: 33002915
- DOI: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000001607
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is spreading around the world and the outbreak continues to escalate. Recently it has been noticed that, besides the typical respiratory complications, some severely affected Covid-19 patients also experience neurological manifestations. Here, we describe the case of a newly diagnosed unilateral hypoglossal nerve palsy (HNP) in a severe Covid-19 patient. The intubation procedure was uneventful, and magnetic resonance imaging excluded the most reported causes of isolated hypoglossal nerve injury. This case reports a rare condition. Even though a reasonable doubt remains, it cannot be excluded that it may be a neurological manifestation of SARS-CoV-2, the authors believe it to be the cause of the palsy. The main importance of this article is to alert clinicians for neurological sequels that may require a targeted rehabilitation program.