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Can PIMS-TS lead to a facial nerve palsy?
  1. Lauren Hookham1,
  2. Penelope Teoh1,
  3. William Stern2 and
  4. Anna L Goodman1
  1. 1Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Guys and St Thomas Hospital, London, UK
  2. 2Neurology, St Thomas’ Hospital, London, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Lauren Hookham; L.HOOKHAM{at}NHS.NET

Abstract

Paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome—temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS) is a recently described syndrome. We describe the case of a 17-year-old man presenting with a recent illness consistent with COVID-19 who presented with fever, chest pain and anterior uveitis. He was treated with aspirin, pulsed methylprednisolone and tocilizumab followed by oral steroids. On day 16 from initial presentation, he developed a facial nerve palsy. He was managed with ongoing steroids and the addition of valaciclovir. PIMS-TS is an under-recognised condition among adult physicians and may not be well known in adult neurology. It is important for adult physicians and neurologists to be aware of PIMS-TS and its possible sequelae.

  • COVID-19
  • infectious diseases
  • neurology
  • cranial nerves

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Footnotes

  • LH and PT are joint first authors.

  • Twitter @lauren_hookham

  • Contributors LH was the medical registrar on the ward while the patient was admitted. She wrote and edited the paper. PT saw the patient in clinic when he presented with FNP. She wrote and edited the paper. WS reviewed the document. His neurological advice was sought regarding the FNP. He made edits to the paper. AG was the consultant in charge of care. She edited the paper and advised on changes.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.