Cranial nerve involvement in COVID-19
Abstract:
Aim : The COVID-19 disease emerged in Wuhan province of China in
November 2019 and spread across the world in a short time, resulting in
a pandemic. The first case in Turkey was detected on March 11, 2020. The
aim of the current study was to reveal the effects of COVID-19 on
cranial nerves by monitoring people infected with the disease based on
repeated examinations and surveys.
Material and Method: The data of 356 patients with a positive COVID-19
polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test who received treatment between June
2020 and August 2020 in our hospital were prospectively evaluated after
the study was approved by the relevant ethics committee.
Results: Of the 356 patients included in the study, 47 under the age of
18 years were excluded due to their unreliable examination and anamnesis
findings. In addition, seven patients that died while in hospital were
excluded from the study due to the lack of examination and survey
records during their hospitalization. The data of the remaining 302
patients were statistically analyzed. Symptoms of cranial nerve
involvement were observed in 135 patients.
Conclusion: The COVID-19 disease caused by the SARS-CoV2 virus commonly
results in cranial nerve symptoms. The fact that these findings are more
common and severe in COVID-19 than previous SARS and MERS outbreaks
suggests that it has a more neurotrophic and more aggressive
neuroinvasion. While the negative effects of the virus on sensory
functions resulting from cranial nerve involvement are evident, motor
functions are rarely affected.
Keywords: Covid-19, SARS-CoV2, Cranial Nerves, Neuroinvasion,
Neurotropism