Acute haemorrhagic leukoencephalitis (Hurst disease) in severe COVID- 19 infection

Abstract

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is well documented as a cause of respiratory tract infection. Increasingly, multi-systemic effects, including COVID-19-related neurologic features, are being reported. Here we report, what we believe to be, the first reported case of acute haemorrhagic leukoencephalitis (AHLE) with presence of oligoclonal bands in the cerebrospinal fluid. AHLE is a rare fulminant demyelinating disease, associated with severe COVID-19 infection.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• Neurological features
• Haemorrhagic leukoencephalitis
• Oligoclonal bands