COVID-19 vaccine induced interstitial lung disease

Abstract

A 60-year-old man presented with dyspnea four days after the second dose of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine. Imaging revealed extensive ground-glass opacification. Blood tests were notable for elevated KL-6 levels. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis showed increased lymphocyte-dominant inflammatory cells and decreased CD4/CD8 ratio. These findings were consistent with the diagnosis of drug-induced interstitial lung disease (DIILD). To the best of our knowledge, this has never been reported in previous literature. Treatment with glucocorticoids relieved his symptoms. This paper highlights that although extremely rare, COVID-19 vaccine could cause DIILD, and early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to improve patient outcomes.

Keywords: Adverse events; COVID-19 vaccine; Drug-induced interstitial lung disease.

Fig. 1

Chest computed tomography (CT) image, 1A) A CT scan on admission. CT image on admission revealed extensive ground-glass opacification (GGO) with right upper lobe predominance, mild interlobar septal wall thickening, and diffuse bronchial wall thickening. 1B) A CT scan seven days after admission (after extubation), CT image revealed a prominent improvement of GGO bilaterally.