Published online Jan 16, 2023. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i2.434
Peer-review started: October 13, 2022
First decision: November 25, 2022
Revised: December 8, 2022
Accepted: December 18, 2022
Article in press: December 18, 2022
Published online: January 16, 2023
Processing time: 91 Days and 5.7 Hours
Most of the first symptoms of avian influenza are respiratory symptoms, and cases with occipital neuralgia as the first manifestation are rarely reported.
A middle-aged patient complaining of paroxysmal pain behind the ear was admitted to our hospital. The patient’s condition changed rapidly, and high fever, unexpected respiratory failure, and multiple organ failure developed rapidly. The patient was diagnosed with H7N9 avian influenza based on etiology.
We believe that the etiology of occipital neuralgia is complex and could be the earliest manifestation of severe diseases. The possibility of an infectious disease should be considered when occipital neuralgia is accompanied by fever. Avian influenza is one of these causative agents.
Core Tip: Patients with avian influenza usually first show respiratory symptoms, and occipital neuralgia caused by avian influenza is very rare. We report a case of severe avian influenza pneumonia with occipital neuralgia as the first symptom.