Cranial polyneuropathy as the first manifestation of a severe COVID-19 in a child

We report a rare acute neurological complication associated with COVID-19 in a 6-year-old girl with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for sickle cell anemia. 21 days after transplant she presented an acute facial diplegia, followed by a swallowing and left sensitive involvement, associated with an MRI T2 hypersignal and gadolinium enhancement of facial and hypoglossal nerves. Fever and severe respiratory symptoms appeared secondarily leading to the diagnosis of COVID-19. This cranial polyneuropathy in a child was inaugural, questioning the typical post-infectious mechanism. Physicians should consider SARS-CoV-2 in patients with cranial nerve abnormalities even without respiratory manifestations or fever.