COVID Vaccine Arm (CVA) is an adverse drug reaction from mRNA vaccine for SARS-CoV-2. CVA is characterized by erythema and edema on the vaccination site (usually deltoid area) that appears from 5 to 10 days after vaccination and is sometimes associated with itching or pain. The exact etiology of CVA is still unclear, but delayed hypersensitivity against an excipient seems to play an essential role in the pathogenesis of the disease. This work performs a systematic literature review on CVA using three different databases containing articles published until 10 November 2021. The literature review includes eight papers reporting single cases or case series of CVA. Moreover, it also addresses, other cutaneous reactions following COVID 19 vaccinations as well as possible differential diagnosis. CVA migrans-like erythema is characterized by a ring-shaped rash in the injection area, which appears some days after the injection and disappears in about 10 days. This reaction may appear more rapidly in subsequent doses.
Keywords: COVID Vaccine Arm (CVA); COVID-19; Cominarty® Pfizer/BioNTech’s (BNT162b2) vaccine; Erythema migrans-like; Spikevax® Moderna (mRNA-1273) vaccine.