Authors: Abdelnour L, Abdalla ME, Babiker S
PMID: 32354690 PMCID: PMC7183987 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfma.2020.04.024
Abstract
On Mar 23, 2020, a 69-year-old man presented to the Ulster Hospital in Northern Ireland after waking up with bilateral lower limb weakness three days prior to admission. He had numbness on both legs that lasted for hours and resolved. He had no backache, and no arm, facial, or visual symptoms. He denied sphincteric or flu-like symptoms. He had a history of hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Two days before admission he could walk miles. He was swabbed in the emergency department (ED) for COVID 19 due to chronic unchanged cough and was admitted to a COVID 19 ward. His test was positive, so further investigations were deferred until he recovers from COVID 19 or deteriorates.
His had reduced power of four out of five of knee extension bilaterally, and normal power of all other muscle groups. There was no sensory level. His knee and ankle jerks were absent bilaterally and had gait ataxia.
Keywords: COVID-19, peripheral neuropathy
