Orbital Inflammation Following COVID-19 Vaccination. Issue 3 (23rd March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Reshef, Edith R.; Freitag, Suzanne K.; Lee, Nahyoung Grace
• Is Part Of: Ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery. Volume 38:Issue 3(2022)
• Page Start: e67
• Page End: e70
• Publication Date: 2022-03-23
• Subjects: Eye -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Ophthalmic plastic surgery -- Periodicals; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures -- Periodicals; Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures -- Periodicals; Ophthalmology -- Periodicals; Surgery -- Periodicals; 617.70592
• DOI: 10.1097/IOP.0000000000002161
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0740-9303

Abstract

Abstract : Three patients presented with periorbital swelling, pain with extraocular movements, and binocular diplopia 1–4 days after receiving an mRNA Coronavirus Infectious Disease-19 (COVID-19) vaccine (BNT162b2, Pfizer/BioNTech; mRNA-1273, Moderna). All patients had a normal afferent function, unilateral limitation of extraocular motility, proptosis, and periorbital inflammation. Neuroimaging of the orbits with contrast revealed inflammation and enlargement of extraocular muscles in 2 cases and the lacrimal gland in 1 case. In all 3 cases, an extensive infectious and inflammatory laboratory work-up was unremarkable and signs and symptoms of orbital inflammation rapidly improved to complete resolution after treatment with high-dose oral prednisone. This is the first reported series of orbital inflammation occurring shortly after administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. Clinicians may consider an inflammatory postvaccine etiology as an alternative to presumed idiopathic diagnosis in such cases. Abstract : The authors report 3 cases of orbital inflammation presenting with pain, diplopia, and periorbital swelling and confirmed with neuroimaging, that occurred within days after administration of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.