West Nile Virus Encephalomyelitis with Polio-like Paralysis & Nigral Degeneration

Kristian T. Schafernak, Eileen H. Bigio
2006 Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences  
Background:Patients infected with West Nile virus (WNV) may develop acute neurologic disease, which can be severe or even fatal, including WNV meningitis, encephalitis, and an irreversible acute flaccid paralysis or poliomyelitis-like syndrome. Movement disorders have also been described.Report:We report combined neuronal loss, gliosis, and neurofibrillary tangle formation in the substantia nigra of a 41-year-old man with a history of WNV encephalomyelitis and poliomyelitis-like
more » ... sion:Clinically our patient did not display parkinsonism, however, it is interesting to speculate whether, in the absence of the residual subacute poliomyelitis-like syndrome, the neuropathologic findings could have eventually evolved clinically into WNV-associated postencephalitic parkinsonism.
doi:10.1017/s0317167100005370 fatcat:6imwaohecfborkg7t3ss5hqvs4