Case report: Atypical Parkinsonism following SARS-CoV-2 infection

Paola Polverino; Tiziana De Santis; Elena Perdixi; Adriano Chiò; Alberto Albanese

doi:10.3389/fneur.2023.1208213

Case report: Atypical Parkinsonism following SARS-CoV-2 infection

Front Neurol. 2023 Jul 31:14:1208213. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1208213. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Paola Polverino¹, Tiziana De Santis¹, Elena Perdixi¹, Adriano Chiò^{2

3}, Alberto Albanese^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy.
² ALS Centre "Rita Levi Montalcini," Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
³ Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza, Turin, Italy.
⁴ Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.

Abstract

A wide range of neurological manifestations have been reported during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a variety of Parkinsonian cases. The association of numerous viruses with the development of persistent or transient Parkinsonism has been well-documented. We observed a patient who developed a levodopa non-responsive Parkinsonian syndrome with dysautonomia during a prolonged stay at home for COVID-19. Although the temporal proximity of the emerging Parkinsonian features with a COVID-19 diagnosis suggested a causal relationship, we considered the possibility of a coincidental occurrence of multiple system atrophy. We discuss the patient's clinical features in relation to the established clinical diagnostic criteria and review differential diagnoses as well as the role of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Keywords: COVID-19; Parkinsonism; SARS-CoV-2; diagnosis; multiple system atrophy.

Publication types

Case Reports