Postinfectious SARS-CoV-2 Opsoclonus-Myoclonus-Ataxia Syndrome

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Title Postinfectious SARS-CoV-2 Opsoclonus-Myoclonus-Ataxia Syndrome
Creator Jodi L. Nelson, Gregory M. Blume, Saurabh K. Bansal, Jacqueline R. Kaufman, Florence R. Woods, Xiaojun Zhang, Jorge C. Kattah
Affiliation Department of Neurology (JN, GB, FW, XZ, and JK), University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria, Illinois Neurologic Institute, OSF St. Francis Medical Center, Peoria, Illinois; Department of Neurology (JK and FW), Illinois Neurologic Institute OSF St. Francis Medical Center, Peoria, Illinois; and Department of Internal Medicine (SB), University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria, OSF St. Francis Medical Center, Peoria, Illinois
Abstract Background: The opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia syndrome (OMAS) represents a pathophysiology and diagnostic challenge. Although the diverse etiologies likely share a common mechanism to generate ocular, trunk, and limb movements, the underlying cause may be a paraneoplastic syndrome, as the first sign of cancer, or may be a postinfectious complication, and thus, the outcome depends on identifying the trigger mechanism. A recent hypothesis suggests increased GABAA receptor sensitivity in the olivary-oculomotor vermis-fastigial nucleus-premotor saccade burst neuron circuit in the brainstem. Therefore, OMAS management will focus on immunosuppression and modulation of GABAA hypersensitivity with benzodiazepines. Methods: We serially video recorded the eye movements at the bedside of 1 patient with SARS-CoV-2-specific Immunoglobulin G (IgG) serum antibodies, but twice-negative nasopharyngeal reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We tested cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), serum, and nasopharyngeal samples. After brain MRI and chest, abdomen, and pelvis CT scans, we treated our patient with clonazepam and high-dose Solu-MEDROL, followed by a rituximab infusion after her formal eye movement analysis 10 days later. Results: The recordings throughout her acute illness demonstrated different eye movement abnormalities. While on high-dose steroids and clonazepam, she initially had macrosaccadic oscillations, followed by brief ocular flutter during convergence the next day; after 10 days, she had bursts of opsoclonus during scotopic conditions with fixation block but otherwise normal eye movements. Concern for a suboptimal response to high-dose Solu-MEDROL motivated an infusion of rituximab, which induced remission. An investigation for a paraneoplastic etiology was negative. CSF testing showed elevated neuron-specific enolase. Serum IgG to Serum SARS-CoV2 IgG was elevated with negative RT-PCR nasopharyngeal testing. Conclusion: A recent simulation model of macrosaccadic oscillations and OMAS proposes a combined pathology of brainstem and cerebellar because of increased GABAA receptor sensitivity. In this case report, we report 1 patient with elevated CSF neuronal specific enolase, macrosaccadic oscillations, ocular flutter, and OMAS as a SARS-CoV-2 postinfectious complication. Opsoclonus emerged predominantly with fixation block and suppressed with fixation, providing support to modern theories on the mechanism responsible for these ocular oscillations involving cerebellar-brainstem pathogenesis.
Subject COVID-19 / complications; Cerebellar Ataxia / complications; Clonazepam / therapeutic use; Female; Humans; Immunoglobulin G; Methylprednisolone Hemisuccinate / therapeutic use; Ocular Motility Disorders / diagnosis; Ocular Motility Disorders / drug therapy' Ocular Motility Disorders / etiology; Opsoclonus-Myoclonus Syndrome / diagnosis; Opsoclonus-Myoclonus Syndrome / drug therapy; Opsoclonus-Myoclonus Syndrome / etiology; RNA, Viral / therapeutic use; Receptors, GABA-A / therapeutic use; Rituximab / therapeutic use; SARS-CoV-2
OCR Text Show
Date 2022-06
Language eng
Format application/pdf
Type Text
Publication Type Journal Article
Source Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology, June 2023, Volume 43, Issue 2
Publisher Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
Holding Institution Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, University of Utah, 10 N 1900 E SLC, UT 84112-5890
Rights Management © North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society
ARK ark:/87278/s6v8d1f6
Setname ehsl_novel_jno
ID 2307904
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6v8d1f6
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