Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Background: Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis (BBE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by impaired consciousness, ophthalmoplegia, and ataxia. We report two cases of BBE following COVID-19. Case Presentation: Case 1: A 51-year-old male was diagnosed with COVID-19 4 days after fever. He had prolonged loss of consciousness, and developed ophthalmoplegia and ataxia. He was treated with steroids and immunoglobulin, which improved his consciousness. Case 2: A 28-year-old female was diagnosed with COVID-19 because of fever 4 days after contact with a COVID-19 patient. She suffered from prolonged loss of consciousness, ophthalmoplegia, and myoclonus. She was treated with steroids, immunoglobulin, and plasmapheresis, which ameliorated her consciousness. Conclusion: Both patients developed central nervous system (CNS) symptoms within a week of COVID-19 onset, indicating that BBE develops immediately after prior infection. This disease should be considered if CNS symptoms appear rapidly after COVID-19.
Source: Acute Medicine & Surgery
DOI: 10.1002/ams2.70071
Authors: Daiki Mori, Takahiro Yamada, Hiroshi Fukuma, Shota Nakao, Tetsuya Matsuoka
Institution: Rinku General Medical Center
Language: English
Subfield: Neurology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,250
OpenAlex ID: W4411923735