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Unusual presentation of more common disease/injury
Case report
COVID-19–associated acute transverse myelitis: a rare entity
  1. Uddalak Chakraborty,
  2. Atanu Chandra,
  3. Aritra Kumar Ray and
  4. Purbasha Biswas
  1. Internal Medicine, R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, India
  1. Correspondence to Dr Atanu Chandra; chandraatanu123{at}gmail.com

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 has wreaked havoc globally and has claimed innumerable lives all over the world. Apart from the characteristic respiratory illness, this disease has been associated with florid extrapulmonary manifestations and complications. A 59-year-old female healthcare worker presented with features of acute-onset non-compressive myelopathy with a sensory level at T10 segment along with high-grade fever for 4 days. MRI of dorsal spine was suggestive of myelitis at T7 vertebral level. She was initiated on injectable steroids and did show some initial signs of recovery. A day later, she developed an acute-onset respiratory failure but could not be revived despite our best efforts. Her nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab turned out to be positive for SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We hereby report a case of acute transverse myelitis with COVID-19 as a probable aetiology.

  • infectious diseases
  • spinal cord

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-2020-238668

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors AC contributed to conception, initial drafting of manuscript, critical revision of content and final approval of manuscript. UC, AKR and PB contributed to patient management, conception, critical revision of content and final approval of manuscript. All authors are in agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

    • 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.

    • Patient consent for publication Next of kin consent obtained.

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