COVID-19-associated mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion

J Neurol Sci. 2020 Aug 15:415:116941. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2020.116941. Epub 2020 May 27.

¹ Department of Cardiology and Respirology Medicine, Gifu University, Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan.
² Department of Cardiology and Respirology Medicine, Gifu University, Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan; Department of Health Data Science, Graduate School of Data Science, Yokohama City University, Japan. Electronic address: mourinho384@yahoo.co.jp.
³ Department of Respirology, Gifu Prefectural General Medical Center, Gifu 500-8717, 4-6-1 Noishiki Gifu, Japan.
⁴ Department of Neurology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan.

Abstract

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We demonstrated the first patient with COVID-19 developing an isolated SCC lesion on brain MRI, suggestive of mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS).
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MERS can be considered as a differential diagnosis for neurological symptoms of COVID-19, especially when patients develop transient cerebellar ataxia or disorientation.

Keywords: COVID-19; Clinically mild encephalitis; Encephalitis; Encephalopathy with a reversible splenial; Lesion; MERS.