Exacerbation of branch retinal vein occlusion post SARS-CoV2 vaccination: Case reports

• Published in: Medicine (Baltimore) 2021-12, Vol.100 (50), p.e28236-e28236
• Main Authors: Tanaka, Hayato, Nagasato, Daisuke, Nakakura, Shunsuke, Tanabe, Hirotaka, Nagasawa, Toshihiko, Wakuda, Hiroyuki, Imada, Yoko, Mitamura, Yoshinori, Tabuchi, Hitoshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Angiogenesis Inhibitors - therapeutic use; BNT162 Vaccine - adverse effects; Clinical Case Report; COVID-19 - prevention & control; Female; Humans; Intravitreal Injections; Macular Edema - drug therapy; Male; Ranibizumab - therapeutic use; Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor - therapeutic use; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - therapeutic use; Retinal Vein Occlusion - chemically induced; Retinal Vein Occlusion - drug therapy; Treatment Outcome; Vaccination; Visual Acuity
• ISSN: 0025-7974; 1536-5964
• DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000028236

In this paper, we report on 2 patients who developed branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) exacerbation 1 day after administration of the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Case 1: A 71 year-old female developed vision loss in her left eye 1 day after receiving a second dose of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine. This patient was diagnosed with temporal inferior BRVO and secondary macular edema (ME) in her left eye. ME resolved after 3 doses of intravitreal aflibercept (IVA). After treatment, no recurrence of ME was observed.Case 2: A 72 year-old man developed vision loss in his right eye 1 day after receiving the first dose of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine. This patient was diagnosed with temporal superior BRVO in the right eye without ME. The patient was followed up and did not undergo any additional treatment. Case1: Temporal superior BRVO and secondary ME were observed in the left eye. Her best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/30.Case2: Temporal superior BRVO recurrence and secondary ME were observed in the right eye. BCVA was 20/25. Case1: Additional dose of IVA was administered. Case2: Two times of Intravitreal ranibizumab was administered twice. Case1: Subsequently, ME resolved BCVA was 20/20. Case2: Subsequently, ME resolved BCVA was 20/25. Both cases showed a possible association between SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and the exacerbation of BRVO.