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Case Reports
. 2022 Jun 1;61(11):1775-1777.
doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.8934-21. Epub 2022 Mar 26.

Polymyalgia Rheumatica Following COVID-19 Vaccination

Akira Yokote  1 , Shinsuke Fujioka  1 , Nobutaka Takahashi  1 , Takayasu Mishima  1 , Yoshio Tsuboi  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Polymyalgia Rheumatica Following COVID-19 Vaccination

Akira Yokote et al. Intern Med. .

Abstract

We herein report a 71-year-old woman presented with a fever, arthralgia, general malaise and leg muscle stiffness following administration of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (Comirnaty, Pfizer-BioNTech). Laboratory findings showed an elevated C-reactive protein level and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. In addition, Gallium-67 scintigraphy demonstrated an increased uptake in multiple joints. Typing of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) revealed the presence of the DRB1*0404/*0803 allele. These findings met the diagnostic criteria for polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), and when we started steroid treatment, her symptoms improved rapidly. This patient developed PMR after receiving a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (Comirnaty, Pfizer-BioNTech). This case is considered to be valuable, as the HLA-DRB1 allele was also confirmed.

Keywords: COVID-19; polymyalgia rheumatica; vaccination.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors state that they have no Conflict of Interest (COI).

Figures

Figure.
Figure.
Gallium-67 scintigraphy performed 72 hours after intravenous injection shows an increased uptake in multiple joints (arrows).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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