SARS⁃CoV⁃2 related to para⁃infectious encephalopathy: three cases report

Background Para-infectious encephalopathy is an acute inflammatory encephalopathy secondary to a systemic infectious disease, including acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE) and mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion (MERS). This paper reports on 3 cases of SARS-CoV-2 related to para-infectious encephalopathy diagnosed and treated in The Ordos Central Hospital of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from December 2022 to February 2023, and reviews relevant literature to summarize the clinical characteristics of the disease. Methods and Results The 3 patients with SARS-CoV-2 related to para-infectious encephalopathy, including 2 cases of SARS-CoV-2 related to ANE and one case of SARS-CoV-2 related to MERS were reported. Three patients developed consciousness disorder 2-4 d after fever, and still had aphasia, mental abnormality, convulsions, etc.. SARS-CoV-2 throat swab was positive. Head MRI showed one abnormal signal of brain stem and bilateral thalamus, one abnormal signal of bilateral thalamus, and one abnormal pressure of corpus callosum. All received hormone shock therapy and (or) intravenous immunoglobulin. One died, and 2 cases were recovered. Conclusions SARS-CoV-2 related to para-infectious encephalopathy including SARS-CoV-2 related to ANE and MERS and other clinical subtypes, the former has rapid progress, severe disease, high disability rate and fatality rate and poor prognosis, while the latter has relatively mild symptoms and better prognosis.