Clinical and Radiological Follow-Up of a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine-Induced Hemichorea-Hemiballismus. Issue 1 (18th May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Batot, Cédric; Chea, Maryane; Zeidan, Sinead; Mongin, Marie; Pop, Gabriel; Mazoyer, Julie; Degos, Bertrand
• Is Part Of: Tremor and other hyperkinetic movements. Volume 12:Issue 1(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-05-18
• Subjects: Hemichorea -- hemiballismus -- vaccine -- FDG-TEP -- COVID-19; Tremor -- Periodicals; Hyperkinesia -- Periodicals; 616.8
• DOI: 10.5334/tohm.688
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2160-8288

Abstract

Background: Hemichorea-hemiballismus is a rare hyperkinetic movement disorder. Case Report: A 90-year-old male developed left hemichorea-hemiballismus after his second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. A wide range of investigations including magnetic resonance imaging did not reveal an alternative cause. [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) showed increases in right putamen fixation compared to the left side. The patient showed significant improvement after five days of intravenous corticosteroids, with a normal FDG-PET. Discussion: This hemichorea-hemiballismus case shows dynamic restoration of putamen metabolism mirroring clinical evolution after administration of corticosteroids, suggesting an autoimmune COVID-19 vaccine-induced reaction.