Association of Vestibular Neuritis Following COVID-19 Vaccination

Among the various side-effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccinations, vestibular neuritis (VN) has been found to have some interesting association with the vaccinations. This paper mainly focuses on exploring different associations between COVID-19 vaccination and VN. A systematic search was conducted on electronic databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane using MeSH terms for case reports published until July 2023. A total of 6 case reports involving 7 individuals from 6 different countries were documented. Reports were analyzed to identify presenting symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and pathophysiological mechanisms related to the relevant issues. The studies included a diverse range of individuals with ages ranging from 40 to 61 years, with an average age of 51 years and a male predominance. The average time between vaccination and symptom onset was 6.35 days. Prominent clinical features observed in the case reports included acute onset vertigo, nausea, vomiting, nystagmus, and gait instability. Diagnostic studies primarily involved vestibular test and brain imaging. Available treatment options consisted of vestibular suppressants, steroids and vestibular rehabilitation. This review highlights the diverse and clinically relevant associations between COVID-19 vaccination and vestibular neuritis. The findings underscore the importance of conducting further studies to explore the causative links in this correlation and gain a better understanding of the relationship.