Table 1.
Summary of 34 new cases of peripheral nerve injury after severe COVID-19
| # | Age/Sex | Site | Risk Factors | PNI sites (laterality) | Diagnostics | Clinical presentation(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60s/M | SRAlab | DM, Obese | Sciatic (left), Fibular (right) | EDX (axonal) | Bilateral foot drop; Left worse than right |
| 2 | 50s/M | SRAlab | DM | Ulnar (left) | EDX (demyelin.) | Left hand weakness |
| 3 | 40s/F | SRAlab | Obese | Cervical radiculopathy (left) | EDX (axonal) | Neck pain; Left shoulder and elbow flexion weakness |
| 4 | 60s/M | SRAlab | DM | Femoral (left), Obturator (left), Spinal accessory (right) | EDX (axonal), MRI (pelvis) | Left thigh pain and paresthesia; Left knee extension weakness; Right sided neck and shoulder pain |
| 5 | 70s/M | SRAlab | None | Sciatic (right), Fibular (left) | EDX (axonal) | Bilateral foot drop; Right worse than left |
| 6 | 30s/M | SRAlab | Obese | Sciatic (right), Fibular (left), Phrenic (right) | EDX (axonal), US (phrenic) | Bilateral foot drop; Right worse than left; Shortness of breath on exertion |
| 7 | 40s/M | SRAlab | None | Phrenic (right) | US (phrenic) | Shortness of breath on exertion |
| 8 | 60s/M | SRAlab | HIV | Radial (right), Ulnar (right), Median (right), Sciatic (right), Ulnar (left), Median (left) | EDX (axonal; but demyelin. median) | Diffuse, but asymmetric weakness and sensory disturbance |
| 9 | 60s/M | SRAlab | Obese | Brachial plexopathy (right), Ulnar (right), Median (right), Phrenic (right) | EDX (axonal; but demyelin. ulnar), US (phrenic) | Diffuse right arm weakness and sensory disturbance; Shortness of breath |
| 10 | 60s/M | SRAlab | None | Fibular (right) | EDX (axonal) | Right foot drop; Paresthesia in right foot |
| 11 | 70s/M | SRAlab | CKD | Femoral (right), Obturator (right), Fibular (right) | EDX (axonal), MRI (pelvis) | Right knee buckling and weakness; Right foot drop |
| 12 | 50s/M | SRAlab | DM | Cervical radiculopathy (left), Ulnar (left), Phrenic (right) | EDX (axonal), MRI (neck/shoulder), US (phrenic) | Left shoulder and elbow flexion weakness; Left hand weakness; Shortness of breath on exertion |
| 13 | 60s/M | SRAlab | DM | Sciatic (right), Phrenic (right) | EDX (axonal), US (phrenic) | Right foot drop; Shortness of breath on exertion |
| 14 | 30s/M | SRAlab | Obesity | Sciatic (left) | EDX (axonal) | Left foot drop |
| 15 | 40s/M | SRAlab | None | Fibular (left), Fibular (right) | EDX (axonal) | Bilateral foot drop |
| 16 | 60s/M | SRAlab | None | Ulnar (right), Radial (right), Median (right), Ulnar (left), Radial (left) | EDX (axonal) | Bilateral forearm and hand weakness in extension and flexion; Worse on right |
| 17 | 70s/F | SRAlab | DM | Sciatic (left) | EDX (axonal) | Left foot drop |
| 18 | 70s/M | SRAlab | DM, CKD | Fibular (left) | EDX (axonal) | Left foot drop |
| 19 | 50s/M | SRAlab | Obese | Sciatic (right), Fibular (left) | EDX (axonal) | Bilateral foot drop; Worse on right side |
| 20 | 40s/M | SRAlab | DM, Obese | Fibular (right), Fibular (left) | EDX (axonal) | Bilateral foot drop |
| 21 | 70s/M | SRAlab | None | Ulnar (left), Lateral femoral cutaneous (left) | EDX (axonal, but clinical LFCN) | Left hand weakness; Painful paresthesia in left anterolateral thigh |
| 22 | 50s/M | SRAlab | None | Ulnar (left) | EDX (axonal) | Left hand weakness |
| 23 | 50s/M | NMH | DM, Obese | Radial (right) | None (clinical) | Right wrist drop and forearm pain |
| 24 | 30s/F | NMH | DM, Obese | Sciatic (left) | EDX (axonal) | Left foot drop |
| 25 | 30s/M | NMH | Obese | Ulnar (left) | EDX (axonal) | Left hand weakness |
| 26 | 40s/M | NMH | Obese | Radial (left) | EDX (axonal) | Left wrist drop |
| 27 | 20s/M | NMH | DM, Obese | Ulnar (left) | EDX (axonal) | Left hand weakness |
| 28 | 20s/M | NMH | Obese | Brachial plexopathy (left), Radial (right) | EDX (axonal) | Left shoulder and elbow flexion weakness; Right wrist drop |
| 29 | 60s/M | NMH | Obese | Brachial plexopathy (left), Ulnar (left), Sciatic (left), Fibular (right) | EDX (axonal; but demyelin. ulnar) | Left shoulder and elbow flexion weakness; Left hand weakness; Bilateral foot drop |
| 30 | 30s/F | MRH | DM, Obese | Fibular (right), Fibular (left) | EDX (axonal) | Bilateral foot drop |
| 31 | 60s/M | MRH | None | Fibular (right) | EDX (axonal) | Right foot drop |
| 32 | 60s/M | MRH | DM, Obese | Brachial plexopathy (right) | EDX (axonal) | Diffuse right arm weakness and numbness |
| 33 | 70s/M | MRH | DM, Obese | Fibular (right), Fibular (left) | None (clinical) | Bilateral foot drop |
| 34 | 30s/M | MRH | DM, Obese | Median (right), Median (left) | EDX (axonal) | Bilateral hand weakness and paresthesia |
PNI, peripheral nerve injury; SRAlab, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (rehabilitation hospital); NMH, Northwestern Memorial Hospital; MJH, Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital; DM, diabetes mellitus; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; CKD, chronic kidney disease; EDX, electrodiagnostics; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; US, ultrasound; demyelin., demyelinating; LFCN, lateral femoral cutaneous nerve. In accordance with journal policy, patient age is expressed according to their decade of life