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. 2022 Nov;146(5):604-609.
doi: 10.1111/ane.13687. Epub 2022 Aug 8.

Miller Fisher syndrome following COVID-19 vaccines: A scoping review

Jee-Eun Kim  1 , Byeol-A Yoon  2   3 , Yoo Hwan Kim  4 , Jong Kuk Kim  2   3 , Jong Seok Bae  4
Affiliations

Miller Fisher syndrome following COVID-19 vaccines: A scoping review

Jee-Eun Kim et al. Acta Neurol Scand. 2022 Nov.

Abstract

Background and purpose: Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS), a variant of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), could be underestimated in evaluations of its adverse events (AEs) following COVID-19 vaccination. We aimed to identify and characterize MFS following COVID-19 vaccination.

Materials and methods: Relevant studies reported on during the COVID-19 pandemic were identified in the MEDLINE, Embase, and other databases.

Results: Nine cases of MFS following COVID-19 vaccination from various regions were included. Unlike MFS following COVID-19 infection, patients with MFS following COVID-19 vaccination frequently presented with anti-GQ1b antibody positivity (44%, 4/9). Unlike GBS following COVID-19 vaccination, only two of nine (22%) cases of MFS following COVID-19 vaccination had developed after viral-vector-related vaccine administration.

Conclusions: Miller Fisher syndrome following COVID-19 vaccination seems to have a different pathophysiology from MFS following COVID-19 infection and GBS following COVID-19 vaccination. This neurological syndrome with a rare incidence and difficulty in diagnosis should be considered an AE of COVID-19 vaccination.

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccine; Guillain-Barré syndrome; adverse effects; miller Fisher syndrome; systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flow diagram demonstrating the inclusion/exclusion process for studies included in the final analyses
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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