Case series of severe neurologic sequelae of Ebola Virus Disease during epidemic, Sierra Leone.
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We describe a case series of 35 Ebola virus disease (EVD) survivors during the epidemic in West Africa who had neurologic and accompanying psychiatric sequelae. Survivors meeting neurologic criteria were invited from a cohort of 361 EVD survivors to attend a preliminary clinic. Those whose severe neurologic features were documented in the preliminary clinic were referred for specialist neurologic evaluation, ophthalmologic examination, and psychiatric assessment. Of 35 survivors with neurologic sequelae, 13 had migraine headache, 2 stroke, 2 peripheral sensory neuropathy, and 2 peripheral nerve lesions. Of brain computed tomography scans of 17 patients, 3 showed cerebral and/or cerebellar atrophy and 2 confirmed strokes. Sixteen patients required mental health followup; psychiatric disorders were diagnosed in 5. The 10 patients who experienced greatest disability had co-existing physical and mental health conditions. EVD survivors may have ongoing central and peripheral nervous system disorders, including previously unrecognized migraine headaches and stroke.
Date Issued
2018-08
Date Acceptance
2018-07-01
Citation
Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2018, 24 (8), pp.1412-1421
ISSN
1080-6040
Publisher
U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases
Start Page
1412
End Page
1421
Journal / Book Title
Emerging Infectious Diseases
Volume
24
Issue
8
Copyright Statement
© 2018 The Author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30014839
Subjects
34 Military Hospital
34MH
34th Military Hospital
Ebola
Freetown
Military Hospital 34
Sierra Leone
West Africa
choriomeningioencephalitis
meningitis
meningoencephalitis
migraine
neurologic
ophthalmic
psychiatric
viral sequelae
viruses
Adult
Cohort Studies
Epidemics
Female
Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola
Humans
Male
Migraine Disorders
Peripheral Nervous System Diseases
Sierra Leone
Stroke
Young Adult
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Date Publish Online
2018-08