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. 2024 Apr 23;44(1):189.
doi: 10.1007/s10792-024-03119-4.

The characteristics of white dot syndromes following COVID-19 Vaccines: a systematic review

Hashem Abu Serhan  1 , Husam Abu Suilik  2 , Amr K Hassan  3 , Jehad Feras AlSamhori  4 , Abdul Rhman Hassan  5 , Abdelmonem Siddiq  6 , Nagi Ahmed  7 , Ayman G Elnahry  8   9
Affiliations

The characteristics of white dot syndromes following COVID-19 Vaccines: a systematic review

Hashem Abu Serhan et al. Int Ophthalmol. .

Abstract

Purpose: To review all studies reporting the onset of white dot syndromes following COVID-19 vaccines.

Methods: Our protocol was registered prospectively on PROSPERO [registration number: CRD42023426012]. We searched five different databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Science Direct up to May 2023. All the studies that reported the occurrence of white dot syndrome following COVID-19 vaccines were included. All statistical tests were conducted with a 95% confidence interval and a 5% error margin. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The methodological quality of included studies was performed using the IHE Quality Appraisal Checklist for Case Series studies and JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case Reports.

Results: Fifty studies involving seventy-one subjects were included. Multiple evanescent white dot syndrome (MEWDS) was the most common disease (n = 25, 35.2% %), followed by acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMN) (n = 22, 31.0%) and acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy (APMPPE) (n = 4, 5.6%). They were mostly unilateral (n = 50, 70.4%). The presenting symptoms were blurred vision (n = 26, 36.6%), paracentral scotoma (n = 19, 26.8%), visual field disturbance, and photopsia (n = 7, 9.9%). The mean duration for follow-up was 10.15 ± 14.04 weeks. Nineteen subjects (29.69%) received steroids with improvement reported in 68.4%. Eleven subjects (17.19%) were managed by observation only with reported full recovery and improvement.

Conclusion: White dot syndromes are very rare entities. Our findings highlight a possible association between COVID-19 vaccines and the occurrence of white dot syndromes. However, larger studies with good quality should be implemented to confirm these findings.

Keywords: COVID-19; Chorioretinopathy; Multiple evanescent white dot syndrome; Ophthalmology; SARS-CoV-2.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Shows PRISMA chart for selection of included articles
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
shows the mean duration from administration the vaccine till the onset of WDS symptoms
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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