Autoimmune spinal cord lesions associated with novel coronavirus infection

Abstract

Spinal cord affection, according to various sources, is a common complication of a new coronavirus infection. The article describes various variants of spinal cord pathology in COVID-19, their potential mechanisms of development, approaches to treatment and outcomes of the disease. Three patients who were observed at the Research Center of Neurology and represent the most interesting cases of classic transverse myelitis, myelitis with predominant involvement of the lateral and posterior cords, and longitudinal widespread myelitis associated with antibodies to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) are considered in detail. These clinical observations demonstrate the importance of early diagnosis and selection of adequate therapy for a favorable outcome of the disease.

Keywords

• coronavirus infection
• autoimmune lesions
• spinal cord
• myelitis