Frontiers in Neurology (Feb 2022)

Case Series: Acute Hemorrhagic Encephalomyelitis After SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination

  • Mihai Ancau,
  • Friederike Liesche-Starnecker,
  • Johanna Niederschweiberer,
  • Sandro M. Krieg,
  • Claus Zimmer,
  • Charlotte Lingg,
  • Daniela Kumpfmüller,
  • Benno Ikenberg,
  • Markus Ploner,
  • Bernhard Hemmer,
  • Bernhard Hemmer,
  • Silke Wunderlich,
  • Mark Mühlau,
  • Benjamin Knier

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2021.820049
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12

Abstract

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We present three cases fulfilling diagnostic criteria of hemorrhagic variants of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (acute hemorrhagic encephalomyelitis, AHEM) occurring within 9 days after the first shot of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19. AHEM was diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging, cerebrospinal fluid analysis and brain biopsy in one case. The close temporal association with the vaccination, the immune-related nature of the disease as well as the lack of other canonical precipitating factors suggested that AHEM was a vaccine-related adverse effect. We believe that AHEM might reflect a novel COVID-19 vaccine-related adverse event for which physicians should be vigilant and sensitized.

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