Co-Occurrence of COVID-19 Infection and Intracerebral Hemorrhage in an Older Adult: A Case Report

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) often has multifaceted presentations, even in young adults, which poses a significant challenge to clinicians who are caring for older adults. Older patients often present with subtle atypical manifestations, and failure to recognize these may lead to a cascade of negative events. Age-related immune system changes, comorbidities, and atypical presentations often make early diagnosis of COVID-19 difficult. Here, we report a case of an 82-year-old moderately frail male patient who presented with generalized body weakness and tested positive for COVID-19. On the second day of admission, he developed unilateral body weakness and aphasia, and computed tomography of the brain revealed acute right frontal spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage with no vascular anomaly. He did not have any traditional risk factors for intracerebral hemorrhage and was not on any anticoagulants. The course of this case illustrates the delicate balance between the atypical presentations of COVID-19, the importance of a comprehensive geriatric assessment, and the management of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.