Chikungunya-induced inflammatory myositis: a case report in India.

Chikungunya fever is a benign and self-limiting disease caused by an RNA virus belonging to genus alphavirus and transmitted by infected Aedes mosquitoes. However, a number of atypical presentations involving various systems have been reported. Among the neurological complications, encephalitis, myelitis, Guillain-Barre syndrome and optic neuritis are commonly seen. However, its presentation as isolated inflammatory myositis causing quadriplegia is extremely rare. We report a 35-year-old woman with quadriplegia caused by chikungunya-induced inflammatory myositis. The diagnosis was confirmed with clinical examination, electromyography study, muscle biopsy findings and exclusion of other causes. There have been case reports of inflammatory myositis in association with various infections as well as in association with other neurological presentations in chikungunya. However, this may be the first case report of isolated inflammatory myositis associated with chikungunya fever.