Acute-onset central serous retinopathy after immunization with COVID-19 mRNA vaccine

Abstract

Purpose We report the case of a 33-year-old male who presented with unilateral central serous retinopathy three days after the injection of a COVID-19 vaccine. Observations A 33-year-old healthy Hispanic male referred to the ophthalmology service due to blurry vision and metamorphopsia in the right eye without any flashes, floaters, eye redness or pain. The patient reported that 69 hours prior to presentation he received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. He denied any past ocular history or pertinent medical history. He does not take any medicines and denies stressful factors in his life. The clinical examination and imaging tests were consistent with central serous retinopathy that resolved in three months. Conclusions and importance This is the first report of an ocular complication potentially associated with a COVID-19 vaccination. Our case contributes information of a side effect potentially related to this new vaccine.

Retinal Hemorrhage after SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination

“…To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest case series examining RVO and AMD-related submacular hemorrhage after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Known ocular complications associated with vaccination include acute macular neuroretinopathy after ChADOx1 nCOV-19 vaccination [ 14 ] and central serous retinopathy, reactivation of Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada disease, panuveitis, and DMEK graft rejection after BNT162b2 vaccination [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. No report has described RVO or AMD-related submacular hemorrhage, nor any other ocular hemorrhagic complications, after vaccination.…”

“…This increases the need for ophthalmological studies on vaccine-related side-effects, where SARS-CoV-2 vaccination may become annual. Known intraocular side-effects include acute macular neuroretinopathy, central serous chorioretinopathy, reactivation of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease, panuveitis, Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) graft rejection, retinal hemorrhage and vascular events including retinal arterial occlusion and retinal vein occlusion (RVO) [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. Here, we present a unique case series of RVO, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) exhibiting submacular hemorrhage, temporally related to administration of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.…”

Ocular Manifestations after Receiving COVID-19 Vaccine: A Systematic Review

“…Lipid nanoparticles consisting of polyethylene glycol, which may induce activation of the complement pathway, could lead to choroidal vessel thickening and neovascularization. All these factors may contribute to CSCR [21].…”

“…On fluorescein angiography (FA), a single point of leakage was noted following the ink-blot pattern. He was diagnosed with central serous retinopathy in the right eye [21].…”

Bilateral uveitis after inoculation with COVID-19 vaccine: A case report

“…Ocular complications after COVID-19 vaccination have been reported and include central serous retinopathy, acute abducens nerve palsy, and two cases of anterior uveitis (Fowler et al,2021;Reyes-Capo et al,2021;Renisi et al,2021;El Sheikh et al,2021). One case of anterior uveitis occurred after BNT162b2 inoculation (Renisi et al,2021) and the other after Sinopharm inoculation (El Sheikh et al,2021); in both cases, the uveitis was resolved via use of topical steroids.…”