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Case Reports: Unusual association of diseases/symptoms
Third cranial nerve palsy due to COVID-19 infection
  1. Monika Iwasaki1,
  2. Toshinori Nishizawa1,
  3. Eiki Iida2 and
  4. Hiroko Arioka1
  1. 1Department of General Internal Medicine, St. Luke's International Hospital, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
  2. 2Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, St. Luke's International Hospital, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
  1. Correspondence to Dr Toshinori Nishizawa; nishizawa.toshinori{at}gmail.com

Abstract

We report a case of a previously healthy man in his 40s who presented with mild SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) concomitant with acute onset of left third cranial nerve palsy with restricted supraduction, adduction and infraduction. Our patient did not present any history of hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes mellitus or smoking. The patient recovered spontaneously without any antiviral treatment. To our knowledge, this is the second report of third cranial nerve palsy spontaneously resolved without any risk factors of vascular disease, specific image findings, nor any possible causes other than COVID-19. In addition, we reviewed 10 other cases of third cranial nerve palsy associated with COVID-19, which suggested that the aetiology varies greatly. As a clinician, it is important to recognise COVID-19 as a differential diagnosis for third cranial nerve palsy. Finally, we aimed to encapsulate the aetiologies and the prognosis of the third cranial nerve palsy associated with COVID-19.

  • Visual pathway
  • COVID-19
  • Global Health
  • Infectious diseases
  • Cranial nerves

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2023-255142

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors MI, TN and EI cared and wrote the report. HA read and approved the final version of the report.

    • 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.

    • Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

    • Competing interests None declared.

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

    • Supplemental material This content has been supplied by the author(s). It has not been vetted by BMJ Publishing Group Limited (BMJ) and may not have been peer-reviewed. Any opinions or recommendations discussed are solely those of the author(s) and are not endorsed by BMJ. BMJ disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the content. Where the content includes any translated material, BMJ does not warrant the accuracy and reliability of the translations (including but not limited to local regulations, clinical guidelines, terminology, drug names and drug dosages), and is not responsible for any error and/or omissions arising from translation and adaptation or otherwise.