A case of trigeminal neuralgia developing after a COVID-19 vaccination

Abstract

In this case, we report a patient who developed acute trigeminal neuritis after using a Pfizer-BioNtech vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. The patient was completely recovered with steroid treatment.

Trigeminal neuropathy after tozinameran vaccination against COVID-19 in postmicrovascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia: illustrative case

“…Prednisolone should have been used in our case as well. Kaya and Kaya 9 described the second case in which the patient presented with right TN without facial numbness 3 days after injection. The entire face was painful, and MRI did not show a remarkable change.…”

“…The frequency of trigeminal neuropathy after coronavirus vaccination seems to be extremely rare. 8 , 9 To date, only two cases of trigeminal neuropathy have been reported after vaccination against COVID-19, one with TN without facial sensory disturbance and the other with facial sensory disturbance ( Table 1 ). Narasimhalu et al 8 reported the first case of trigeminal neuritis with cervical radiculitis that occurred 3 hours after vaccination (Pfizer-BioNtech).…”

“…However, more studies are required to clarify the pathophysiology of trigeminal neuropathy after vaccination against COVID-19. 8 , 9 There are currently no critical guidelines for vaccination in the postoperative situation. The vaccine decision will be made based on an individual’s condition.…”

“…There are numerous reports about neurological complications of vaccinations against COVID-19. [3][4][5][6]8,9,11 The mechanism behind these complications is not fully elucidated. Some researchers suggest that headache and facial pain occur when COVID-19 invades the central nervous system retrogradely by binding to angiotensinconverting enzyme type 2 receptors in the terminal branch of the trigeminal nerve that resides in the nasal mucosa.…”

Central Nervous System Demyelination Following COVID-19 mRNA-Based Vaccination: Two Case Reports and Literature Review

“…13 From the literature search, apart from our case, there are 2 additional cases of trigeminal neuralgia with COVID-19 vaccination. 14,15 Likewise, the vaccine involved in these 2 reported cases was also Cominarty. However, it is worthwhile to highlight that they were thought to be due to trigeminal neuritis, a peripheral nerve involvement as opposed to our case which showed a demyelinating lesion in the pontine region, consistent with a CNS involvement.…”