@article {Peterssone249156, author = {Ida Petersson and Bjorn M Hansen and Anders Svenningsson and Annika Lundstrom}, title = {Cerebral microvascular injuries in severe COVID-19 infection: progression of white matter hyperintensities post-infection}, volume = {15}, number = {9}, elocation-id = {e249156}, year = {2022}, doi = {10.1136/bcr-2022-249156}, publisher = {BMJ Specialist Journals}, abstract = {A range of neuroradiological findings has been reported in patients with COVID-19, some mimicking cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). We present a case of a man in his 50s with severe COVID-19, who was Glasgow Coma Scale 3 and tetraparetic after sedation was ceased in the intensive care unit. Return of consciousness and motor activity was slow. An MRI 1 month after debut of symptoms demonstrated white matter hyperintensities on T2-weighted Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery (T2-FLAIR) and many small areas with impaired diffusion in primarily supratentorial and infratentorial white matter on Diffusion-Weighted Imaging (DWI). In the following months, the patient made a remarkable clinical recovery. Despite clinical improvement, an MRI after 7 months showed that white matter hyperintensities had progressed and become confluent. Both MRIs demonstrated findings resembling CSVD, which could relate to a COVID-19-specific process affecting cerebral microvasculature.}, URL = {https://casereports.bmj.com/content/15/9/e249156}, eprint = {https://casereports.bmj.com/content/15/9/e249156.full.pdf}, journal = {BMJ Case Reports CP} }