Two rare cases of retinal vasculitis following vaccination

Abstract

We write to report two rare cases of retinal vasculitis following administration of vaccinations. Both patients received recent vaccinations (within 4 weeks and 2 months respectively) and presented with unilateral visual loss due to retinal arteriolar vasculitis. Investigations did not reveal any other causes of vasculitis. The first patient's ocular inflammation settled following periocular steroid injection, whereas the second patient required the additional use of oral corticosteroid. Both patients had improved vision following treatment. Vaccinations can cause an autoimmune reaction. Systemic vasculitis has previously been described, whereas ocular vasculitic involvement is also possible but extremely rare. When seeing a patient with visual loss due to retinal vasculitis of unknown aetiology, a history of any recent vaccinations should be elicited.

Retinal artery vasculitis secondary to administration of influenza vaccine

“…Since then, there has been a handful of published cases of systemic vasculitides following influenza vaccination, although these did not involve ocular tissues 2 3. A recently published series of two cases illustrated how ocular vasculitis can present following vaccination, although neither case specifically involved the influenza vaccination 4. In both described cases the ocular vasculitis presented as an arterial vasculitis alone with no systemic involvement, and the importance of a fluorescein angiogram was highlighted.…”

Frosted branch angiitis after smallpox vaccination

“…This individual developed unilateral optic disc swelling, submacular fluid and sheathing of arterioles. 18 Viral vaccines, particularly influenza and hepatitis B, are also known to have a higher incidence of vasculitic reactions. 19…”

Local choroiditis after influenza vaccination (a clinical case study)

“…В зарубежной литературе описаны офтальмологические осложнения вакцинации против гриппа, включающие в себя панувеит [4,5], передний увеит [2,5,6], мультифокальную плакоидную эпителиопатию [5,7,8]. Также описаны случаи васкулита [9,10], синдрома Фогта-Коянаги-Харада [11], а также случай реактивного воспаления в орбите и заднего скле-рита без признаков внутриглазного воспаления [12] или в сочетании с панувеитом [13].…”

“…Для лечения офтальмологических осложнений вакцинации против гриппа в основном применяют глюкокортикоидные препараты как системно [2,13], так и в сочетании с их субтеноновым введением [10].…”