Defined neuroaspergillosis in immunocompetent patients following COVID-19 infection: two cases and literature review

In recent years, the advent of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic has seen the emergence of neurological aspergillosis as a rare complication in immunocompetent patients infected with this pathogen. Neuroaspergillosis is a rare but serious infection of the central nervous system, typically observed in patients with compromised immune systems. This article presents a case series of two patients with aspergillosis associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection at Peking Union Medical College Hospital and offers a literature review on this topic. This study included two cases of neuroaspergillosis associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. A search was conducted on PubMed for reports of neuroaspergillosis related to SARS-CoV-2, and a literature review was subsequently performed. The study examined the characteristics of the patients, the clinical manifestations, the treatment, and the prognosis. The findings revealed that the primary symptoms of neuroaspergillosis associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection included impaired consciousness, focal neurological deficits, and headaches, with a high mortality rate. The clinical diagnosis and treatment of the disease were challenging due to the difficulty of early detection and diagnosis. This study reviews the mechanism, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment strategies of neuroaspergillosis in immunocompetent patients after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Furthermore, it discusses the clinical characteristics of the disease through two cases. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential for effective management of the disease.