Neuroradiologists, Be Mindful of the Neuroinvasive Potential of COVID-19

Representation of the neuronal retrograde method of CoV entry into the CNS. A, Upper left depicts a schematic of the experimental design allowing CoV infection in mouse experiments. The virus is introduced into the nasal cavity, traveling from the olfactory receptor neurons (ORN) to the olfactory bulb in the brain, and from there, to various areas in the brain stem. C, Lower left depicts the schematic for the same route in humans. B, Upper right depicts a decalcified murine nasal cavity from one such experiment. A close-up image denoted by a red arrow shows infected ORNs in green. The lower half of the panel shows dissemination of the virus through infected neurons, from the olfactory bulb to various areas of the brain stem. Reprinted with permission from Desforges et al.²