Dengue is an arboviral infection and is associated with neurological complications.

An article published in Revista de Neurologia reviewed neurological complications associated with dengue virus infection.

The authors discussed that the neurotropic nature of dengue virus has been confirmed in epidemiological studies, case series and histopathological studies. The range of neurological complications is 5.6-14.6%, and they usually occur in serotypes 1 and 3. While encephalopathy is the most common neurological syndrome (0.5-6%) and its prevalence is higher in children and adolescents.

This article reported that detection of the viral antigen in brain tissue and the presence of pleocytosis or RNA in cerebrospinal fluid are evidence of the neurotropic nature of dengue virus – which manifests itself in the form of encephalitis. Meanwhile, neurological syndromes during convalescencedisseminated acute cerebellitis, opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome, mononeuritis, poly-radiculoneuritis and plexitisappear to be immunomediated. Myelitis can arise during acute dengue virus infection and over an immunomediated mechanism in the convalescence phase.

Furthermore, myalgias, myositis, rhabdomyolysis and hypokalemic paralysis are examples of muscular dysfunction associated with the dengue virus. The incidence of stroke is 0.26%, which could beischemic or hemorrhagic. While ophthalmological complications of dengue include – maculopathy, retinal hemorrhage, optic neuropathy and vitritis.

The article summarized that the spectrum of neurological complications from dengue virus is broad. However, there is no reliable data on its real incidence.

Source: Revista de Neurologia. 01 Aug 2019, 69(3):113-122. Doi: 10.33588/rn.6903.2019140