Low-Pressure Hydrocephalus in Spontaneous Angiogram-Negative Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Following COVID-19 Infection

Weisbrod, Luke; Davidson, Caroline; Gard, Andrew; Surdell, Daniel

A preliminary report warned that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) could have neuro-invasive potential as it was observed that some patients showed neurologic symptoms such as headache, nausea, and vomiting. Following early speculation there have been reports of neurologic manifestations involving both the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system including reports that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may increase the risk of acute ischemic stroke. Here we present a patient with recent COVID-19 infection who experienced low-pressure hydrocephalus requiring high-output cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion following spontaneous angiogram-negative subarachnoid hemorrhage. We hypothesize that patients who are either currently or who have recently been infected with SARS-CoV-2 may have altered ventricular compliance and/or altered CSF hydrodynamics from mechanisms that are not yet understood but potentially related to previously described pathophysiologic mechanisms of the virus and associated inflammatory reaction.