Skip to main content
Wiley - PMC COVID-19 Collection logoLink to Wiley - PMC COVID-19 Collection
. 2021 Nov 2;186(2):e83. doi: 10.1111/bjd.20824

Bilateral giant cell arteritis with skin necrosis following SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination

T Gambichler 1,, C Krogias 2, I Tischoff 3, A Tannapfel 3, R Gold 2, L Susok 1
PMCID: PMC8652593  PMID: 34726769

Abstract

graphic file with name BJD-186-e83-g002.jpg


graphic file with name BJD-186-e83-g001.jpg

dear editor, An 82‐year‐old man presented with a 4‐month history of headaches, jaw claudication, weight loss, bilateral temporoparietal skin necrosis and almost complete vision loss, which had developed about 10 days after his second SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination (BTN162b2). Cutaneous findings (a), fundoscopy (b), ultrasound (c), C‐reactive protein of 63 mg L−1 (normal range < 5) and biopsy of temporal arteries (d) confirmed bilateral late‐stage giant cell arteritis (GCA). Other vasculitides, as well as polymyalgia rheumatica, have been reported in association with SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination. Just like influenza and herpes zoster vaccines, SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccines may also trigger GCA. Clinicians must be aware of this rare but severe complication. 1 , 2

Author Contribution

Thilo Gambichler: Conceptualization (lead); Formal analysis (lead); Investigation (supporting); Supervision (lead); Validation (lead); Writing‐original draft (lead). Christos Krogias: Formal analysis (lead); Investigation (supporting); Validation (supporting); Writing‐review & editing (supporting). Iris Tischoff: Formal analysis (lead); Investigation (lead); Writing‐review & editing (supporting). Andrea Tannapfel: Formal analysis (supporting); Investigation (supporting); Supervision (supporting); Writing‐review & editing (supporting). Ralf Gold: Formal analysis (supporting); Investigation (supporting); Writing‐review & editing (supporting). Laura Susok: Conceptualization (lead); Formal analysis (lead); Investigation (supporting); Supervision (lead); Validation (supporting); Writing‐review & editing (supporting).

Funding sources: none.

Conflicts of interest: the authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.

References

  • 1. Gillion V, Jadoul M, Demoulin N et al. Granulomatous vasculitis after the AstraZeneca anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine. Kidney Int 2021; 100:706–7. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 2. Manzo C, Natale M, Castagna A. Polymyalgia rheumatica as uncommon adverse event following immunization with COVID‐19 vaccine: a case report and review of literature. Aging Med (Milton) 2021; 4:234–8. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The British Journal of Dermatology are provided here courtesy of Wiley

RESOURCES