Branch retinal vein occlusion in a healthy young man following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination

Abstract

Purpose: To report a case of a branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination. Observations: A 34-year-old healthy male presented with blurriness in the inferior visual field, intermittent photopsia, multiple retinal hemorrhages, dilated and tortuous retinal vessels, and cotton wools spots in the right eye. The clinical examination and ancillary tests confirmed the diagnosis of a right eye BRVO. The visual symptoms started 2 days following first dose COVID-19 vaccination with the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) mRNA vaccine. Conclusions and importance: This is a rare case of BRVO in an otherwise healthy young man, presenting after vaccination for COVID-19 in the absence of other coagulable risk factors. As the literature on venous thrombosis after COVID-19 vaccinations remains sparse, it is critical to raise awareness that BRVO could be a vaccine-related thrombotic adverse event. We highlight that as more of the population is vaccinated, an increased incidence of BRVO may confirm the link to COVID-19 vaccination.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• BRVO
• Vaccination
• Branch retinal vein occlusion
• Retina
• SARS-CoV-2