A 14-year-old boy afflicted with the rare Miller Fisher syndrome due to COVID-19 has been treated successfully, doctors at the Kauvery Hospital said.
The syndrome, a variant of the Guillain-Barré syndrome, is a rare condition in which the immune system attacks the nervous system owing to an acute bacterial or viral infection.
A statement said the boy was brought to the hospital primarily with complaints of double vision for five days. An RT-PCR test showed he had COVID-19. He also had difficulty in walking, tingling sensation in the limbs and general weakness. He was later diagnosed with Miller Fisher syndrome.
Bhuvaneshwari Rajendran, lead consultant and neurologist, Kauvery Hospital, said Guillain-Barré syndrome was quite rare and could lead to a complete paralysis if not treated early.
Vijayalakshmi Balakrishnan, senior infectious diseases specialist, said doctors were seeing serious lung complications, heart attacks, stroke and vascular complications among many of those who had recovered from COVID-19. In some cases, she said, such complications were happening even three to six months after recovery.
“There have been instances in which even those who had very mild symptoms of COVID-19 developed neurological and vascular complications. We urge people to get themselves checked if they have any persistent symptoms after COVID-19,” she said.
The boy was put under intense treatment for six days and then physiotherapy. He is now able to walk without support and carry out his daily activities without difficulty, the statement said.
Congratulating the medical team on timely diagnosis and treatment, Aravindan Selvaraj, executive director, Kauvery Hospital, said post-COVID-19 complications were posing a bigger risk at the moment.
