Acute pancreatitis soon after COVID-19 vaccination

Abstract

Rationale: In response to the global coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, several vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 have been developed. Although many infrequent side effects of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine have been reported, only a few cases of pancreatitis have been reported. Patient concerns: A 71-year-old woman was presented to the hospital with upper abdominal pain and vomiting. She had no history of alcohol consumption, pancreatitis, or allergic reactions to vaccines. She had received the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine 2 days prior to her current presentation. Laboratory tests revealed elevated serum pancreatic enzymes. An abdominal computed tomography scan showed diffuse enlargement of the pancreas with fat stranding extending to below the kidneys bilaterally. Diagnosis: The patient was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Interventions: The patient was treated with the administration of intravenous antimicrobials, proteolytic enzyme inhibitors, and proton pump inhibitors. Outcomes: The patient had an uneventful recovery with no complications. Lessons: Acute pancreatitis can develop shortly after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. Therefore, of great importance to differentiate acute pancreatitis when abdominal pain occurs after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination.

Acute pancreatitis following COVID-19 vaccine: A case report and brief literature review

“…Since COVID-19 vaccines are new, it is reasonable to assume that we have not yet seen many of the possible adverse effects that may occur in patients who have received them. There have been some case reports that demonstrated the association between COVID-19 vaccines and the incidence of acute pancreatitis [ 30 – 32 ].…”

Type 1 Autoimmune Pancreatitis Unmasked by COVID-19 Vaccine

“…Both vaccine-induced acute hepatitis and pancreatitis have been reported occurring 2–3 days after receiving Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. 3 , 4 To date, there have been 3 publications regarding possible COVID-19 vaccine-induced autoimmune hepatitis (AIH); this is the first case documented regarding AIP (Table 1 ).…”

COVID-19 vaccination and liver disease

“…All these side effects are mild and typically resolve 1-3 d after vaccination. However, recent worldwide dissemination of COVID-19 vaccines and post-marketing surveillance have led to an increasing number of reports of several organ-specific immune-related diseases, including myocarditis, immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and pancreatitis, among others[ 11 , 83 - 85 ]. It is speculated that an abnormal immune response following vaccination is involved in the development of such diseases.…”