Optic neuritis following COVID-19 vaccination: Case series and review of the literature

Abstract

Objective. - To review cases of optic neuritis after COVID-19 vaccination and add similar cases to the literature. Methods. - Thorough PubMed and Scopus searches were conducted, and data from studies describing optic neuritis after COVID-19 vaccination were extracted, tabulated, pooled, and reviewed. Results. - We present 6 cases of optic neuritis following COVID-19 vaccination. Our literature search yielded 48 similar cases. All 54 cases were divided into 3 groups with respect to their serostatus: (1) double-seronegative or unknown serostatus optic neuritis cases, (2) myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-associated optic neuritis cases, and (3) aquaporin-4-associated optic neuritis cases. Data from each group were separately pooled and reviewed. While the most frequent vaccine among the anti-AQP4+ subgroup was BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) (2/3), recombinant vaccines, e.g., AZD122 and Ad26.Cov2.s were mostly injected in the other subgroups (23/51). No significant gender inclination was seen among different subgroups. The mean interval from vaccination to symptom onset was less than one month in all subgroups; symptom manifestations mainly occurred after the first dose (28/54). Almost all cases showed improvement after steroid therapy +/- plasma exchange (52/54). Conclusion. - Despite having rare side effects such as optic neuritis, vaccination remains our most helpful protection against SARS-CoV-2. Nevertheless, larger studies are needed to ascertain the pathophysiology of such adverse effects. Likewise, the association between COVID-19 vaccination and optic neuritis warrants further investigation. (c) 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.