Onset of leukocytoclastic vasculitis following covid-19 vaccination: case based comprehensive review

Abstract

With the global introduction and widespread administration of COVID-19 vaccines, there have been emerging reports of associated vasculitis, including leukocytoclastic cutaneous vasculitis (LCV). In this paper, we present a case of a 68-year-old female patient who developed painful purpuric skin lesions on her feet 12 days after administration of the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine BBIBP Cor-V with histopathological confirmation of LCV and no signs of systemic involvement. The case is followed by a comprehensive literature review of documented LCV cases associated with COVID-19 vaccination with overall 39 articles and 48 cases of LCV found in total. In the majority of cases (56.3%) the first symptom occurred after the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, with symptoms manifesting within an average of seven days (6.8 ± 4.8) post-vaccination. The adenoviral vaccine Oxford-AstraZeneca (41.7%) and the mRNA vaccine Pfizer-BioNTech (27.1%) were most frequently associated with LCV occurrences. On average, LCV resolved within 2.5 (± 1.5) weeks. The preferred treatment modality were glucocorticoids, used in 70.8% of cases, resulting in a positive outcome in most cases, including our patient. While the safety of a subsequent dose appears favorable based on our review, individual risk-benefit assessment is crucial. This review emphasis the importance of considering COVID-19 vaccination as a potential trigger for the development of cutaneous vasculitis. Despite rare adverse events, the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the risks, highlighting the importance of immunization programs.

Keywords: COVID-19; COVID-19 vaccine; Cutaneous vasculitis; Leukocytoclastic vasculitis.