Severe bilateral amyotrophic neuralgia associated with major dysphagia secondary to acute hepatitis E

INTRODUCTIONSeveral acute neurological syndromes can be triggered by immune events. Hepatitis E virus (HEV), an emerging infectious disease, can be one of these triggers. CASE REPORTWe report the case of a 36-year-old man that presented nausea and a dull abdominal pain for a week and then felt an acute neuralgic pain involving both shoulders that lasted for 8 to 10 hours. Immediately after, the patient presented a severe bilateral muscular weakness of the proximal part of both upper limbs, corresponding to an amyotrophic neuralgia. Two days after the shoulder pain, the patient presented a dysphagia necessitating tube feeding. A blood sample confirmed hepatitis caused by hepatitis E virus (HEV; genotype 3F). Oral feeding resumed progressively after five months. The patient was fully independent for the activities of daily living but was still unable to work after six months. CONCLUSIONAmyotrophic neuralgia and hepatitis E are both under-diagnosed. It is noteworthy that HEV can trigger amyotrophic neuralgia. Antiviral drugs, oral steroids and intravenous immunoglobulins can be proposed, but the optimal treatment has not yet been determined.