The Clinical Course of New-Onset Ocular Myasthenia Gravis Caused by Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine

Acta Neurol Taiwan. 2023 Dec 30:32(4):218-222.

Abstract

Purpose: Myasthenia gravis (MG) caused by COVID-19 vaccine had been reported, but the clinical course of new-onset ocular MG had never been described. We would like to document the clinical course of a patient with new-onset ocular MG which was caused by Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

Case report: A 39-year-old woman noticed diplopia one week after she accepted the first dose of Pfizer- BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Diagnosis of ocular MG was made after investigation. Despite intravenous immunoglobulins, pyridostigmine and prednisolone therapy, she had no improvement until 10 days after treatment. She then rapidly improved, and almost fully recovered in the following 10 days. We had observed this patient for 8 months. After tapering off steroid, she remained stable to date, though she still suffered from transient diplopia on awakening.

Conclusion: No matter the symptoms at onset, the clinical course or the response to steroid therapy was identical to ocular MG that we had ever known. Ocular MG caused by COVID-19 vaccine could probably be an iatrogenic life-long disease.

Keywords: Myasthenia gravis COVID-19 vaccination..

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • BNT162 Vaccine
  • COVID-19 Vaccines / adverse effects
  • COVID-19* / prevention & control
  • Diplopia / etiology
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Myasthenia Gravis* / drug therapy
  • Myasthenia Gravis* / etiology

Substances

  • BNT162 Vaccine
  • COVID-19 Vaccines