Clinico-epidemiological Trends of Leprosy in 21st Century and During COVID-19 Pandemic

Leprosy is the oldest disease affecting humankind since ancient times. Despite MDT's availability for disease curability, vast pockets of multi-bacillary (MB) cases persist in the community. We conducted this study to know the clinico-epidemiological trends of leprosy over four years and five months in this era of the COVID-19 pandemic (C19P). A total of 90 cases were registered;59 (65.5%) were males, and 31 (34.5%) were females. The majority (69%) of cases were in the 15-45 age groups. Childhood leprosy was detected in 3(3.3%) cases. A history of contact with leprosy patients could be established in 16 (17.8%) cases. The cases comprised 54.5% local inhabitants and 45.5% were migrants. The MB cases 77 out of 90 (85.6%) were in higher proportion than pauci-bacillary (PB) cases. In the clinical spectrum, BL leprosy was most common in 39% of cases, followed by LL and BT leprosy. Thirty-seven (41%) patients were suffering from lepra reactions (LR), and out of them, 59.4% had type 2 reactions (T2R), and the rest had type 1 reactions (T1R). Disabilities were found in a total of 56 (62.2%) cases, and grade 2 disabilities (G2D) were recorded in 25 (44.6%) patients. Ulnar nerve (UN) was most commonly affected nerve in 64.4% of cases, followed by lateral peroneal (LPN) and posterior tibial nerve (PTN). We observed the impact of Covid 19 infection peak C19P in two ways;firstly, during the C19P peak in 2020, there was a drastic fall in total registered cases (TRC) to 4/year against 22/year in pre-C19P with a relative increase in LRs and disabilities. In post-C19P peak periods, not only was there a marked rise in TRC (20/5 months), but LR (50%) and disabilities (75%) also showed a significant rise. A high proportion of MB cases, LRs and disability rates indicate the need for population-based studies and subsequent public health measures for early diagnosis and treatment. Further large sample-sized, in-depth studies can tell the exact impact of C19P on leprosy.Copyright © Hind Kusht Nivaran Sangh, New Delhi.

PROGRESSIVE ASCENDING WEAKNESS AFTER THE PFIZER/BIONTECH COVID-19 VACCINE

SESSION TITLE: Autoimmune Disorders: Both Primary and Secondary SESSION TYPE: Rapid Fire Case Reports PRESENTED ON: 10/18/2022 10:15 am - 11:10 am INTRODUCTION: Myasthenia gravis (MG) occurs sporadically with no known causes. We present a rare case of new onset MG s/p COVID-19 vaccination. CASE PRESENTATION: A healthy 46-year-old female presented with progressing LE weakness for 3 months. Symptoms started 5 days after her initial Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Her workup showed negative neuroimaging, bland basic CSF studies from LP, with negative MS profile and AChR Ab. She presented again in 1 month with difficulty rising from a seated position, raising her arms above her head with blurry vision. Exam showed bilateral ptosis that improved with an ice pack test, weakness is worst in proximal muscles, but normal reflexes. Workup was again negative. Pyridostigmine was added after discharge (DC). 2 months after, she was admitted to the ICU for acute progressive fatiguability and dyspnea. EMG/NCS of the ulnar nerve showed 60-70% electrical decrement. She underwent therapeutic PLEX. Prednisone was added at DC followed by mycophenolate. 2 weeks later, she was again admitted with myasthenic crisis. She again underwent PLEX with improvement and intubation was avoided. Biweekly PLEX was started at DC. Testing for AChR, MuSK, and LRP4 Abs were initially negative, but AChR Abs were present 6 months later. She then underwent thymectomy showing hyperplasia. DISCUSSION: MG exacerbations have been attributable to infections (50%) and medications (30%). This has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic especially when medications such as azithromycin were used to treat acute infections. While vaccine-induced flares or onset of autoimmune diseases have been described in literatures, new onset MG following vaccines is rare, limited to 1 to 3 case reports. No case, to our knowledge, correlated to the 1st dose like our patient. The temporal relationship between the COVID-19 vaccination and onset of MG symptoms in our patient could represent a correlation, but does not prove causality. Perhaps a more plausible theory is that the vaccine may have unmasked a previously unrecognized disease in high-risk patient. We ask if the COVID vaccine induces a similar cytokine storm, which hyperstimulates the immune system to a point that breaks immunologic self-tolerance. Interestingly, our patient was initially seronegative, but the presence of AChR Ab was confirmed after sensitive cell-based assays testing. Our patient may have had pre-existing self-antigens to the AChR that were released after receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of COVID-19 vaccinations will soon surpass that of infections placing vulnerable individuals at risk for MG onset. Recognizing this risk will open discussions about vaccine safety. In doing so, we can begin to formulate new parameters for post-vaccination monitoring. The risks of and complications from acute COVID-19 still outweigh the rare adverse events from vaccines;thus, eligible patients should be offered the COVID-19 vaccine. Reference #1: Guidon AC, Amato AA. COVID-19 and neuromuscular disorders. Neurology. 2020 Jun 2;94(22):959-969. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000009566. Epub 2020 Apr 13. PMID: 32284362. Reference #2: Tagliaferri AR, Narvaneni S, Azzam MH, Grist W. A Case of COVID-19 Vaccine Causing a Myasthenia Gravis Crisis. Cureus. 2021;13(6):e15581. Published 2021 Jun 10. doi:10.7759/cureus.15581 Reference #3: Chavez A, Pougnier C. A Case of COVID-19 Vaccine Associated New Diagnosis Myasthenia Gravis. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health. January 2021. doi:10.1177/21501327211051933 DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by andrew bui No relevant relationships by Sharonya Shrivastava

COVID-19-Related Neuropathy in Colombia: The Experience During the First 23 Months of Pandemic

COVID-19-related neuropathy in Colombia: The experience during the first 23 months of pandemic Introduction: The SARS-CoV-2 virus has a high neuroinvasive capacity due to the increased expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme receptor 2 (ACE-2) in neurons (1) and it is believed that the mechanism by which it can cause injury to the nervous system peripheral nervous system is immunemediated, although a direct cytotoxic effect of the virus cannot be ruled out (2). Multiple types of neuropathy associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection have been described, the most frequent being Guillain- Barré syndrome, pre-existing diabetes, compression neuropathies and drugs used to treat symptoms of COVID-19 (3). Objetives: To characterize the patients who were referred to the electromyography laboratory at the Fundacion Santa Fé de Bogotá, Colombia due to suspected COVID-19-related neuropathy Methods: Descriptive observational study, case series type. The electrodiagnostic studies carried out between January 2020 and December 2022 in the electromyography laboratory at the Fundacion Santa Fé de Bogotá, Colombia with suspected COVID- 19-related neuropathy were reviewed. Results: 94 patients were evaluated in the electromyography laboratory with suspected COVID 19-related neuropathy between January 2020 and December 2021, of which 53% (50/94) were men. The average age was 54.8 years. 32% (30/94) had severe COVID and 31% (29/94) were hospitalized in the ICU. Most of the studies were normal: 35% (33/94). of the abnormal findings, it was found in order of frequency: Symmetric motor and sensory axonal polyneuropathy in 21.2%, and of this group of patients, 55% were in the ICU, 35% had no data and 20% were hospitalized-not ICU. 18% presented compression neuropathy of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel, 6.3% asymmetric motor and sensory axonal neuropathy, 6.3% suggestive findings of cervical and/or lumbosacral root involvement, 4.2% Guillain Barré syndrome, 4.2% compression neuropathy of the peroneal nerve , 2.1% brachial plexus axonal injury, 2.1% peroneal nerve axonal injury, 2.1% radial axonal injury, 2.1% myopathic changes, 1% hypoglossal nerve axonal injury, 1% symmetric axonal and demyelinating polyneuropathy, 1% hereditary neuropathy, 1% asymmetric demyelinating neuropathy, 1% axonal injury of the sciatic nerve, 1% axonal injury of the median nerve in the forearm, 1% axonal injury of the lumbosacral plexus, 1% compression neuropathy of the ulnar nerve in the elbow and 1% axonal injury from a sensory branch of the median nerve. Conclusions: The most frequent abnormality in the study was symmetric motor and sensory axonal polyneuropathy, which can be explained by the prolonged ICU stay, which increases the risk of Critical illnes Neuropathy.

Prone positioning plexopathies - A retrospective case series

Introduction: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and increased use of prone positioning, there has been an increase in observed plexopathies. Objectives: To retrospectively analyse data of all COVID-19 admissions to the ICU of an acute hospital, to identify both the prevalence and risk factors for nerve injuries post prone positioning. As well as reviewing current guidance to facilitate best practice and optimise rehabilitation following nerve injury. Methods: Data from the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, a large teaching hospital, was retrospectively collected from the hospitals electronic clinical records system. Data was reviewed for all COVID-19 patients admitted from March-June 2020 and October 2020-March 2021. Patients with nerve injuries were diagnosed from physiotherapy assessment as there were no electrophysiology studies available. Results: 45 patients were admitted during the first wave. Of these, 1 peroneal nerve injury was identified (2.2% of all patients). Throughout the second wave 225 patients were admitted, with 10 isolated nerve injuries identified in 7 patients. These included 6 lower limb injuries (peroneal nerve) and 4 upper limb injuries (brachial plexus or ulnar nerve). This equates to 3.1% of patients. All these patients were nursed prone during their ITU admission, and no nerve injuries were found in patients who were not proned. Characteristics of the patients can be seen in Table 1. In comparison, Miller et al. (2021) found 5.9% of all COVID-19 patients admitted to a large UK hospital suffered an upper limb nerve injury. Malik et al. (2020) found nerve injuries (upper and lower) in 14% of patients. However, both studies took place in rehab settings, not acute. On average, nerve injuries were diagnosed on day 26 of admission. Early diagnosis is difficult due to prolonged sedation, delirium, and ICU-acquired weakness masking nerve injuries. Therefore, it is likely that the incidence of injury is higher than demonstrated in this series. Data was missing for 4 patients who were transferred in from other ICUs in the region. However, number of prone episodes varied from 1 to 6, and total hours spent in prone varied from 15 to 106. Conclusion: This case series demonstrates that nerve injuries are a consequence of prone positioning. Although a very small sample, there seems to be no relation to the frequency of proning or the number of hour's proned. Achieving optimum positioning to avoid complications is imperative. This was likely made more difficult in the pandemic due to the cohort of patients (high BMI, large number of co-morbidities) and undue stress with temporary surge support staff and an extreme number of patients. Guidance has now been published for positioning to avoid brachial plexus injuries (Quick & Brown, 2020). However, there is no guidance published regarding lower limb injuries, which in this case series were more common. In our trust we are in the process of adjusting our proning SOP accordingly to include the above guidelines, as well as an awareness of lower limb positioning to avoid compression or traction. It is important that there is a clear individualised pathway in place.

Compliance to New BOAST's Guidelines for Paediatric Supracondylar Fractures in the Middle of COVID Pandemic

Aim: Amid COVID pressures, standards of surgical practices need constant reviewing to maintain patient safety and streamline care pathways. Newly published BOAST (British Orthopaedic Association Standards for Trauma and Orthopaedics) guidelines for paediatric supracondylar fractures became a benchmark against which a restructured DGH trauma unit's performance can be appraised. Method: Theatre records were analysed between April-2020 and September-2020. Data were collected to reveal time to theatre, operative techniques, documentations of ulnar nerve protection, complications, follow-up plans, time to first post-op radiograph and to wire removal. Results: 90% of patients underwent operations within 24-48 hour. Although there was no incidence of iatrogenic nerve injury, documentation of ulnar nerve protection was not identified in 45% of crossed wire fixations. Wire size was not mentioned in 14%. 33% did not have first follow-up with radiograph within 4-10 days, and 43% of patients did not have the wires removed till 4 weeks post op. Conclusion: This re-audit highlights the need to improve in documentation for ulnar nerve protection and to identify the delays in follow-up appointments. Although BOAST no longer recommends a fixed timeframe for follow-up plan, first radiograph within 4-10 days and wire removal within 4 weeks are still reasonable locally.

A CASE of SEVERE ANCA ASSOCIATED VASCULITIS after COVID-19 VACCINATION

Background: The world is currently rocking to and fro in the midst of the COVID-19 viral storm and vaccinations have played a pivotal role in calming this.Although COVID-19 vaccines have been thoroughly assessed and studied before being rolled out to the general population, there have been reports of post vaccination complications in limited number of subjects strongly associated with COVID-19 vaccinations[1]. Objectives: To report a case of severe ANCA associated vasculitis after COVID-19 vaccination. Methods: A case report and discussion. Results: In view of this, we report the case of a 77 year old caucasian male who developed severe ANCA associated vasculitis (AAV) after two doses of Astra-Zeneca vaccine and one booster dose of Pfzer COVID-19 booster. He presented with acute onset infammatory arthritis with mononeuritis multiplex with bilateral foot drop and left radial and ulnar nerve forearm weakness in typical asymmetrical pattern two weeks after the Pfzer vaccination. He had a raised MPO-ANCA titre of 66 IU/ml, C-reactive protein of 131mg/L and reactive thrombocytosis of 458 X 10 9/L. Nerve conduction study confrmed mononeuritis multiplex in the bilateral peroneal nerves and left radial and ulnar nerve. A total body CT had excluded malignancy and paraneoplastic associations and Gullian-Barre diagnosis was also excluded. The patient was treated with 3 days of intravenous methylprednisolone 1g daily then given intravenous Rituximab 1g, two weeks apart. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation in view of the vasculitic neuropathy from his diagnosis. Conclusion: Diagnosis of AAV is often delayed or missed by other medical specialties due to its varied presentation. AAV should be suspected in a patient with paraesthesia/weakness in keeping with mononeuritis multiplex or other peripheral neuropathy in the absence of an alternative explanation (e.g. diabetes,B12 defciency) and in particular with a wrist or foot drop.Exposure to certain drugs and substances of abuse such as cocaine, hydralazine and propylthiouracil has been implicated with AAV.While short-term side effects of COVID-19 vaccine resemble those of other vaccines, long-term side effects remain unknown[2]. Rare side effects continue to surface as millions of people receive COVID-19 vaccines around the world.

Ulnar Mononeuropathy Associated with Covid-19 Infection, A Case Report

Covid-19 was reported in China for the first time. The most common manifestation of this novel infection is respiratory problems. However, it can also invade both central and peripheral nervous systems. The usual central nervous system complications were dizziness (16.8%) and headache (13.1%). The most common reported symptoms in patients with peripheral nervous system problems were taste impairment (5.6%) and smelling impairment (5.1%) due to olfactory nerve involvement. In this study, we present a 46-year-old male who was referred to our clinic in Shiraz for electrodiagnosis and better evaluation due to paresthesia and numbness of the right 4th and 5th fingers accompanied by weakness and atrophy of the muscles in the ulnar nerve territory, which occurred during Covid-19 infection in this patient. Severe partial involvement of the right ulnar nerve at the elbow region was detected in the electrodiagnosis, and findings in the right elbow MRI favored ulnar neuritis. © The Authors. Published by JRSR.

Ulnar Nerve Palsy as COVID-19 Sequelae in 3 Patients.

The pathophysiology and treatment of COVID-19 have been at the forefront of medical research this past year. While great strides have been made in our knowledge of the disease, there is still much that is unknown. More than one-third of patients with COVID-19 present with symptoms involving the nervous system. The reason for this is unclear, although several theories have been postulated. In this case study, we present 3 patients with severe ulnar nerve dysfunction following treatment for COVID-19 in the intensive care unit. We discuss reasons why this may have occurred, the etiology of which is likely multifactorial. We are reporting these cases to inform and alert physicians to the possibility of ulnar nerve involvement in the presentation of patients with COVID-19.