Case report: First manifestation of multiple sclerosis temporally correlated with COVID-19 vaccination

Agata Czarnowska; Katarzyna Kapica-Topczewska; Eugeniusz Tarasów; Joanna Tarasiuk; Monika Chorąży; Jan Kochanowicz; Alina Kułakowska

doi:10.3389/fneur.2023.1097799

Case report: First manifestation of multiple sclerosis temporally correlated with COVID-19 vaccination

Front Neurol. 2023 Feb 15:14:1097799. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1097799. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Agata Czarnowska¹, Katarzyna Kapica-Topczewska¹, Eugeniusz Tarasów², Joanna Tarasiuk¹, Monika Chorąży¹, Jan Kochanowicz¹, Alina Kułakowska¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland.
² Department of Radiology, Medical University of Białystok, Białystok, Poland.

Abstract

There are several case reports describing a temporal correlation between the first clinical manifestation of multiple sclerosis (MS) and the occurrence of relapses with vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. Here we report a case of a 33-year-old male who developed partial right upper and lower extremities numbness 2 weeks after receiving Johnson & Johnson's Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. The brain MRI performed during diagnostics in the Department of Neurology detected several demyelinating lesions, one with enhancement. Oligoclonal bands were present in the cerebrospinal fluid. The patient was treated with high-dose glucocorticoid therapy with improvement and the diagnosis of MS was made. It seems plausible that the vaccination revealed the underlying autoimmune condition. Cases like the one we reported here are rare, and-based on current knowledge-the benefits of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 far outweigh the potential risks.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; autoimmune condition; case report; multiple sclerosis; vaccination.

Publication types

Case Reports