Short communicationAn unusual cause of cerebellar ataxia in an immunocompromised elderly patient
Introduction
Parvovirus B19 (PVB19) belongs to family Parvoviridae, genus Erythrovirus. It is a single-stranded DNA virus that manifests most frequently as erythema infectiosum and aplastic anemia in children and patients with hemoglobinopathies. In immunocompromised patients PVB19 can present with pure red cell aplasia. Common neurological manifestations of PVB19 infection include seizures, encephalitis and meningoencephalitis; less common are stroke, cerebellar ataxia, optic neuritis, brachial plexitis, Guillain–Barré syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome. We report a case of cerebellar ataxia in an immunocompromised elderly man [1], [2].
Section snippets
Case report
A 70-year-old man with relapsed and refractory CLL, treated with 29 cycles of revlimid plus ofatumumab, recently transitioned to single-agent revlimid, presented with a 6-week history of unsteady gait, slurred speech and tremors in his hands. He noticed progression of symptoms one week before admission. Review of systems was positive for episodes of choking with liquids and lightheadedness. Two months before presentation, chemotherapy was held due to development of pure red cell aplasia. He
Discussion
PVB19 infection can present with a wide spectrum of symptoms. It can range from self-limiting minor constitutional symptoms to disabling CNS and/or peripheral nervous system (PNS) involvement. Douvoyiannis et al. [1] reviewed 81 cases of neurologic manifestations of PVB19 infection in the adult and pediatric population. Overall, CNS and PNS involvement was seen in 77% of adult and 23% of pediatric patients with PVB19 infection. Some of the CNS manifestations in order of frequency are
Disclosure
The authors report no disclosure.
This study does not involve use of any grant funds.
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