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Case report
Catatonic syndrome as the presentation of encephalitis in association with COVID-19
  1. Damaris Vazquez-Guevara1,
  2. Sandra Badial-Ochoa1,
  3. Karen M Caceres-Rajo2 and
  4. Ildefonso Rodriguez-Leyva1,3
  1. 1Neurology, Hospital Central Dr Ignacio Morones Prieto, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
  2. 2Internal Medicine, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
  3. 3Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
  1. Correspondence to Dr Ildefonso Rodriguez-Leyva; ilrole{at}yahoo.com.mx

Abstract

COVID-19 has shown different neurological manifestations even sometimes there are the initial or the main presentation.

The following case report is about a middle-aged woman who, over 3 days, developed fever, clinical neurological alterations (stupor, muteness, fixed gaze and catatonia), cerebrospinal fluid (16 lymphocytes) and an electroencephalogram (EEG) (4–6 Hz generalised activity) with characteristics of encephalitis. A serum IgG, IgM, nasopharyngeal swab PCR for SARS-CoV-2. The patient responded positively to support measures, symptomatic and corticosteroid treatment. At discharge, the patient was independent and improved considerably.

We report the presence of catatonia as a possible and atypical manifestation of encephalitis in association with COVID-19.

  • COVID-19
  • infectious diseases
  • neurology
  • infection (neurology)

This article is made freely available for use in accordance with BMJ’s website terms and conditions for the duration of the covid-19 pandemic or until otherwise determined by BMJ. You may use, download and print the article for any lawful, non-commercial purpose (including text and data mining) provided that all copyright notices and trade marks are retained.

https://bmj.com/coronavirus/usage

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2020-240550

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors DV-G and SB-O participated in the planning, writing and editing of the report. IR-L was the corresponding author. IR-L edited the report, figures and videos. KMC-R participated in the writing of the report.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.