Unilateral Hypoglossal Nerve Palsy as a Covid-19 sequel: a case report.

Costa Martins, Daniela; Branco Ribeiro, Sofia; Jesus Pereira, Isabel; Mestre, Susana; Rios, Jonathan

Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is spreading around the world and the outbreak continues to escalate. Recently it has been noticed that, besides the typical respiratory complications, some severely affected Covid-19 patients also experience neurological manifestations. Here, we describe the case of a newly diagnosed unilateral hypoglossal nerve palsy (HNP) in a severe Covid-19 patient. The intubation procedure was uneventful, and magnetic resonance imaging excluded the most reported causes of isolated hypoglossal nerve injury. This case reports a rare condition. Even though a reasonable doubt remains, it cannot be excluded that it may be a neurological manifestation of SARS-CoV-2, the authors believe it to be the cause of the palsy. The main importance of this article is to alert clinicians for neurological sequels that may require a targeted rehabilitation program.