This "review of the available literature provides an overview of ocular side effects possibly associated with COVID-19 vaccines," including:
- Bell's/Facial Nerve Palsy
- Superior Ophthalmic Vein Thrombosis
- Acute Anterior Uveitis
- Acute Macular Neuroretinopathy (AMN)
- Corneal Graft Rejection
- Anterior Sclerites
- Panuveitis
- Posterior Uveitis
- Cranial Nerve Palsy (Excluding Bell's/Facial Nerve Palsy)
- Central Serous Retinopathy
- Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH)
- Central Retinal Vein Occlusion
- Bilateral Multifocal Choroiditis
- Episcleritis
- Intermediate Uveitis
- Paracentral Acute Middle Maculopathy
- Bilateral Optic Neuritis
- Graves' Disease
"Abstract
... [W]e hypothesize that the development of ocular phenomena post-COVID-19 vaccination may occur via an immune response elicited by the vaccine. Of many, the most common ocular adverse events include facial nerve palsy, central venous sinus thrombosis and acute anterior uveitis. These COVID-19 vaccine-induced ocular (CVIO) adverse events could resemble the ocular findings in some of the COVID-19 patients. This review will provide a comprehensive overview of published ocular side effects potentially associated with COVID-19 vaccination and serve as a springboard for further research into CVIO adverse events...
Possible Mechanistic Insights and Impact
To increase the magnitude and efficacy of vaccines, adjuvants are added, which are meant to potentiate vaccine-mediated immune responses. While adjuvants are generally efficacious and safe, the administration of adjuvants may lead to autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome in a fraction of predisposed or genetically susceptible individuals...
[W]e propose that certain individuals are genetically predisposed to vaccine-induced ocular adverse events...
Conclusion
The COVID-19 vaccines discussed in this review are relatively new. Much of the reviewed literature consisted of case reports and case series. Many reports provided limited details regarding ophthalmic examination, imaging, treatment and visual outcomes of patients. Notwithstanding the variation in details, such case reports represent possible ocular side effects associated with COVID-19 vaccines. More data on their side effects are emerging each day, and our knowledge on these side effects is still expanding."
© The Author(s) 2021
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