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Acute Retinal Pigment Epitheliitis following Vaccination
Hirofumi Sasajima1, Masahiro Zako2, Akari Aoyagi1
1Department of Ophthalmology, Shinseikai Toyama Hospital, Imizu, Japan.
Case Reports in Ophthalmology
|January 5, 2023
Summary
This case report details acute retinal pigment epitheliitis (ARPE) in an 18-year-old man after COVID-19 vaccination. Symptoms resolved spontaneously, suggesting vaccination may be a potential trigger for ARPE.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Vaccinology
- Immunology
Background:
- Acute retinal pigment epitheliitis (ARPE) is a rare condition affecting the retinal pigment epithelium.
- Vaccination, including for COVID-19, has been investigated for potential ocular side effects.
Observation:
- An 18-year-old male presented with central scotoma in his right eye one month after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
- Ophthalmological examination revealed characteristic ARPE findings on funduscopy, fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT), including disruption of the external limiting membrane (ELM), ellipsoid zone (EZ), and interdigitation zone (IZ).
Findings:
- The patient's visual acuity improved and central scotoma resolved spontaneously within five weeks without treatment.
- OCT showed partial recovery of ELM and EZ continuity, though IZ remained disrupted.
Implications:
- This case suggests a potential, though currently unclear, association between COVID-19 vaccination and the development of ARPE.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the pathophysiology and incidence of ARPE following vaccination.
