Study of Polyneuropathy Pattern in Post COVID-19 Pneumonia

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted from the coronavirus causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) (SARS-CoV-2).  Although, COVID-19 mainly impacts the respiratory tract and lungs, reports of neurological symptoms are on the rise. Post-infectious  neurological diseases caused by an inflammatory response against the nervous system have been reported among them.

Subjects and  methods: The study included 62 patients presented with the clinical picture of polyneuropathy after covid-19 infection (38 males and 24  females). In addition to thorough and complete medical and neurological examinations, all patients were subjected to nerve conduction  studies using Medelec-Oxford Synergy EMG device with 20 Hz-10 kHz filter setting and 50 millisecond analysis time.

Results: The mean  age of patients with post-COVID-19 polyneuropathy was 45.7 ± 12.49, the most common presenting symptoms were mixed sensorimotor  neuropathy (41,9%), the duration of illness was 3.27 ± 0.89 months, the duration of hospitalization due to respiratory symptoms was 15.26  ± 4.73 days, and nerve conduction studies revealed 58.1% had axonal polyneuropathy only, and 30.7% had bilateral peroneal nerves  neuropathy.

Conclusions: Patients with COVID-19 may experience polyneuropathy of both lower limbs, which is primarily axonal  and affected mainly both peroneal nerves.