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Journal of Pediatric Neurology
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1786785
Special Issue Article

Cerebral Malformations Related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 during Pregnancy

Santiago Presti
1   Pediatrics Postgraduate Residency Program, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
,
Federica Dierna
1   Pediatrics Postgraduate Residency Program, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
,
Antonio Zanghì
2   Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies, Research Center for Surgery of Complex Malformation Syndromes of Transition and Adulthood, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
,
Michele Vecchio
3   Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Rehabilitation Unit, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
,
Salvatore Lavalle
4   Chair of Radiology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Kore Universisty, Enna, Italy
,
Elena R. Praticò
5   Unit of Pediatrics, Carpi Hospital, Carpi, Italy
,
Martino Ruggieri
6   Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Clinical Pediatrics, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
,
Agata Polizzi
7   Chair of Pediatrics, Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
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Abstract

The pandemic of severe-acute-respiratory-syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2) has shown a wide spectrum of possible consequences in children, ranging from asymptomatic patients to the development of severe conditions, such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and encephalopathies related to cytokine storm. Specifically, neurological and neuroimaging abnormalities, ranging from mild-to-the severe ones, have been documented in children as well, such as postinfectious immune-mediated acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, myelitis, neural enhancement, cranial nerve enhancement, and cortical injury, also without neurological symptoms. Considering the neurotropism of coronaviruses and SARS-Cov-2, which has been well described in the literature, we reviewed the literature reporting possible cerebral malformation in neonates due to the infection of SARS-Cov-2 in pregnancy. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during pregnancy might develop cerebral disorders in several ways. Articles in English in the literature were screened using the following search terms: (1) “brain malformations” AND “COVID-19”; (2) “cerebral malformations” AND “COVID-19”; (3) brain malformations AND “Sars-Cov-2”; (4) “cerebral malformations “AND “Sars-Cov-2.” Considering the congenital brain malformation found in newborns exposed to infection of SARS-Cov-2 pre- or neonatally, we identified one paper which reported three neonates with cerebral malformation. Although sporadic, cerebral malformations like atypical signals in white matter with delayed myelination, brain dysplasia/hypoplasia with delayed myelination, and unusual signals in the periventricular regions have been documented.

Keywords

COVID-19 - malformations - syndromes - brain - development


Publication History

Received: 05 December 2023

Accepted: 04 April 2024

Article published online:
13 May 2024

© 2024. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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