COVID-19 Vaccine-Associated Lymphadenopathy in Breast Imaging Recipients: A Review of Literature

Abstract

The unpredictability of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created an ongoing global healthcare crisis. Implementation of a mass vaccination program to accelerate disease control remains in progress. Although injection site soreness, fatigue, and fever are the most common adverse reactions reported after a COVID-19 vaccination, ipsilateral lymph node enlargement has increasingly been observed. In patients undergoing routine screening and surveillance for breast cancer, interpreting lymphadenopathy (LAP) is challenging in the setting of a recent COVID-19 vaccination. With a growing proportion of the population receiving the vaccine, a multifaceted approach is necessary to avoid unnecessary and costly workup. In this comprehensive review, we summarize the existing literature on COVID-19 vaccine-associated LAP in breast imaging patients.

Keywords: adenopathy; breast cancer detection; breast screening; covid-19; covid-19 vaccine; covid-19 vaccine side effects; covid-19 vaccine-associated lymphadenopthy; lymph nodes; reactive lymphadenopathy; screening mammogram.