COVID-19 and upper limb compression neuropathies: a review
Keywords:
Covid 19, Canaliculopathies, Upper limb compression NeurophatiesAbstract
Background and aim: COVID-19 may be asymptomatic or have a typical presentation with fever, cough, anosmia, lymphocytopenia. In some cases, it occurs with a "chimeric" presentation, with more subtle and ambiguous symptoms which may be initially misdiagnosed and are referred to in long covid conditions. A possible central and peripheral nervous system involvement has been recognized. We review the literature about the association between upper limb compressive neuropathies and SARS-CoV-2 infection. The purpose of this paper is to try to demonstrate a correlation between SARS-CoV-2 infection and canalicular syndromes of the upper limb. Although the respiratory manifestations of COVID-19 have been widely studied, there is emerging evidence suggesting potential associations between COVID-19 and various other health conditions. Methods: During November and October 2023, we carried out a systematic review to identify all scientific publications discussing the relationship between COVID-19 infection and compressive neuropathies of the upper limb. We followed PRISMA guidelines and searched in the PubMed database. We selected 24 articles. After a screening process, we keep 6 articles complying with inclusion criteria. Results: We found 24 patients who had developed canaliculopathies of the upper limb after COVID-19. The papers examined in this review did not hypothesize a clear pathological pathway, but rather examined a multifactorial one. Both SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination have been reported as possible causes of compression neuropathies. Conclusions: Nowadays, the world literature is not clear regarding the etiology of the association between upper limb compressive neuropathies and COVID-19. We conclude a causal relation may exist and needs to be further investigated.
References
Costello F, Dalakas MC. Cranial neuropathies and COVID-19: Neurotropism and autoimmunity. Neurology. 2020 4;95(5):195-196. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000009921.
Webb S, Wallace VC, Martin-Lopez D, Yogarajah M. Guillain-Barré syndrome following COVID-19: a newly emerging post-infectious complication. BMJ Case Rep. 2020 14;13(6):e236182. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2020-236182.
De Vitis R, Passiatore M, Cilli V, Apicella M, Taccardo G. Sars-cov-2 infection and involvement of peripheral nervous system: a case series of carpal tunnel syndrome aggravation or new onset with covid-19 disease and a review of the literature. Georgian Med News. 2023;(340–341):61–66. PMID: 37805875.
Roncati L, Gravina D, Marra C, Della Rosa N, Adani R. Cubital Tunnel Syndrome Temporally after COVID-19 Vaccination. Trop Med Infect Dis. 2022 16;7(4):62. doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed7040062.
Tullie S, Michell A, Reid AWN. Bilateral Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Following COVID-19 Vaccination: A Case Report. J Hand Surg Asian Pac Vol. 2022 Dec;27(6):1035-1037. doi: 10.1142/S242483552272050X.
Roncati L, Marra C, Gravina D, et al. Ultramicronized Palmitoylethanolamide and Luteolin: Drug Candidates in Post-COVID-19 Critical Illness Neuropathy and Positioning-Related Peripheral Nerve Injury of the Upper Extremity. J Hand Microsurg. 2023 13; doi: 10.1055/s-0043-1764161.
Roncati L, Gianotti G, Gravina D, et al. Carpal, cubital or tarsal tunnel syndrome after SARS-CoV-2 infection: A causal link? Med Hypotheses. 202; 153:110638. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2021.110638.
Guan W jie, Ni Z yi, Hu Y, et al. Clinical Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in China. N Engl J Med. 2020 30;382(18):1708-1720. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2002032.
Gane SB, Kelly C, Hopkins C. Isolated sudden onset anosmia in COVID-19 infection. A novel syndrome? Rhinology. 2020 1;58(3):299-301. doi: 10.4193/Rhin20.114.
Mao L, Jin H, Wang M, et al. Neurologic Manifestations of Hospitalized Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Wuhan, China. JAMA Neurol. 2020 1;77(6):683-690. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.1127.
Zhao H, Shen D, Zhou H, Liu J, Chen S. Guillain-Barré syndrome associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection: causality or coincidence? Lancet Neurol. 2020;19(5):383-384. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(20)30109-5.
Terhoeve C, Bliss R, Ahmad R. Ulnar Nerve Palsy as COVID-19 Sequelae in 3 Patients. J Hand Surg Glob Online. 2022;4(3):181-183. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsg.2021.12.003.
Roncati L, Gallo G, Manenti A, Palmieri B. Renin-angiotensin system: The unexpected flaw inside the human immune system revealed by SARS-CoV-2. Med Hypotheses. 2020 21;140:109686. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109686.
Mokuda S, Tokunaga T, Masumoto J, Sugiyama E. Angiotensin-converting Enzyme 2, a SARS-CoV-2 Receptor, Is Upregulated by Interleukin 6 through STAT3 Signaling in Synovial Tissues. J Rheumatol. 2020 1;47(10):1593-1595. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.200547.
Harley D, Sleigh A, Ritchie S. Ross River virus transmission, infection, and disease: a cross-disciplinary review. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2001;14(4):909-32, table of contents. doi: 10.1128/CMR.14.4.909-932.2001.
Roncati L, Palmieri B. What about the original antigenic sin of the humans versus SARS-CoV-2? Med Hypotheses. 2020 142:109824. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109824.
Saricaoglu EM, Hasanoglu I, Guner R. The first reactive arthritis case associated with COVID-19. J Med Virol. 2021;93(1):192-193. doi: 10.1002/jmv.26296.
Hønge BL, Hermansen MLF, Storgaard M. Reactive arthritis after COVID-19. BMJ Case Rep. 2021 2;14(3):e241375. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2020-241375.
Gasparotto M, Framba V, Piovella C, Doria A, Iaccarino L. Post-COVID-19 arthritis: a case report and literature review. Clin Rheumatol. 2021;40(8):3357-3362. doi: 10.1007/s10067-020-05550-1.
Prielipp RC, Morell RC, Walker FO, Santos CC, Bennett J, Butterworth J. Ulnar nerve pressure: influence of arm position and relationship to somatosensory evoked potentials. Anesthesiology. 1999;91(2):345-54. doi: 10.1097/00000542-199908000-00006.
Sayegh MJ, Larsen CG, Pinpin C, Intravia JM, Nellans KW. Ulnar Neuropathy After Intermittent Prone Positioning for COVID-19 Infection: A Preliminary Report of 3 Cases. JBJS Case Connect. 2021 19;11(1). doi: 10.2106/JBJS.CC.20.00729.
Li NY, Murthy NK, Franz CK, et al. Upper Extremity Neuropathies Following Severe COVID-19 Infection: A Multicenter Case Series. World Neurosurg. 2023;171:e391-e397. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.12.027.
Bocci T, Campiglio L, Zardoni M, et al. Critical illness neuropathy in severe COVID-19: a case series. Neurol Sci. 2021;42(12):4893-4898. doi: 10.1007/s10072-021-05471-0.
Novak P, Cunder K, Petrovič O, et al. Rehabilitation of COVID-19 patients with respiratory failure and critical illness disease in Slovenia: an observational study. Int J Rehabil Res. 2022 1;45(1):65-71. doi: 10.1097/MRR.0000000000000513.
Bax F, Lettieri C, Marini A, et al. Clinical and neurophysiological characterization of muscular weakness in severe COVID-19. Neurol Sci. 2021;42(6):2173-2178. doi: 10.1007/s10072-021-05110-8.
Yildiz O K, Yildiz B, Avci O, Hasbek M, Kanat S. Clinical, Neurophysiological and Neuroimaging Findings of Critical Illness Myopathy After COVID-19. Cureus. 2021 10;13(3):e13807. doi: 10.7759/cureus.13807.
Stoian A, Bajko Z, Maier S, et al. High-dose intravenous immunoglobulins as a therapeutic option in critical illness polyneuropathy accompanying SARS-CoV-2 infection: A case-based review of the literature (Review). Exp Ther Med. 2021;22(4):1182. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10616.
Intiso D, Marco Centra A, Giordano A, Santamato A, Amoruso L, Di Rienzo F. Critical Illness Polyneuropathy and Functional Outcome in Subjects with Covid-19: Report on Four Patients and a Scoping Review of the Literature. J Rehabil Med. 2022 7;54:jrm00257. doi: 10.2340/jrm.v53.1139.
Bawiskar N, Talwar D, Kumar S, Acharya S. Critical Illness Polyneuropathy as a Sequelae of COVID-19. J Glob Infect Dis. 2022 25;14(2):90. doi: 10.4103/jgid.jgid_254_21.
Maramattom BV, Wijdicks EFM. Acute neuromuscular weakness in the intensive care unit. Crit Care Med. 2006 ;34(11):2835-41. doi: 10.1097/01.CCM.0000239436.63452.81.
Latronico N, Bolton CF. Critical illness polyneuropathy and myopathy: a major cause of muscle weakness and paralysis. Lancet Neurol. 2011 ;10(10):931-41. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(11)70178-8.
Puduvalli VK, Sella A, Austin SG, Forman AD. Carpal tunnel syndrome associated with interleukin-2 therapy. Cancer. 1996 15;77(6):1189-92. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19960315)77:6<1189::aid-cncr27>3.0.co;2-x.
Sikora SS, Samsonov ME, Dookeran KA, Edington H, Lotze MT. Peripheral nerve entrapment: an unusual adverse event with high-dose interleukin-2 therapy. Ann Oncol. 1996;7(5):535-6. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.annonc.a010647.
Heys SD, Mills KLG, Eremin O. Bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome associated with interleukin 2 therapy. Postgrad Med J. 1992;68(801):587-8. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.68.801.587.
Mehta P, McAuley DF, Brown M, Sanchez E, Tattersall RS, Manson JJ. COVID-19: consider cytokine storm syndromes and immunosuppression. Lancet. 2020 28;395(10229):1033-1034. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30628-0.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Caterina Marra, Federico De Maria, Martina Boccaletti, Luca Roncati, Roberto Adani
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Transfer of Copyright and Permission to Reproduce Parts of Published Papers.
Authors retain the copyright for their published work. No formal permission will be required to reproduce parts (tables or illustrations) of published papers, provided the source is quoted appropriately and reproduction has no commercial intent. Reproductions with commercial intent will require written permission and payment of royalties.
How to Cite
