eyes on

categoriesIco Header Blog Categories

Study reports cases of rejection of corneal transplant after covid-19 vaccine
June 15, 2021
Manoela Campos

Share

Since the beginning of the pandemic, several researches have investigated how the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) can affect the eyes. A recent study has described two cases of patients who have suffered corneal transplant rejection after being immunized against covid-19. The work was published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. Learn about the study and results. In […]

Since the beginning of the pandemic, several researches have investigated how the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) can affect the eyes. A recent study has described two cases of patients who have suffered corneal transplant rejection after being immunized against covid-19. The work was published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Learn about the study and results. In fact, it is still too early to correlate rejection to the vaccine, but it works as a warning signal to doctors.

 

The research

 

The work reported two cases of corneal endothelial transplant rejection after patients received the covid-19 vaccine. Those procedures took place before immunization.

The first evaluated case is of a 66-year-old woman who took the first vaccine dose 14 days after transplantation (unilateral DMEK combined with phacoemulsification and IOL implant).

The patient had an acute onset of blurred vision, redness and photophobia seven days after vaccination. Doctors increased the drug dosage to an hourly basis to treat acute rejection of the endothelial graft. Inflammation symptoms and signs began decreasing three days after follow-up. Four weeks later, there were no more signs of inflammation in visual acuity.

Another patient, 83-year-old, developed rejection of corneal transplantation in both eyes at once, three weeks after receiving the second dose of the vaccine. She had had surgery six years earlier on her right eye and three years earlier on her left.

Presented symptoms included sudden onset of bilateral blurred vision, pain, photophobia and redness. The treatment consisted of putting in eye drops every hour. Inflammation signs decreased on the seventh day and the drug dosage reduced.

 

Results

 

This is the first work describing evidence of a possible association between rejection of corneal transplantation and covid-19 vaccine. Moreover, these are the first reports of DMEK procedure failing after any immunization.

The hypothetical occurrence is that the host antibody response may have triggered the allogeneic response.

Researchers have considered that doctors carry out non-urgent surgeries only after vaccination. In case of done procedures, assess the need to increase drug intake frequency or avoid reducing treatment at the time of vaccination.

 

Conclusion

 

There is no hard evidence that immunization against covid-19 led to rejection of corneal transplantation. This is a low-level case report, with regards to scientific evidence. Researches with more case studies, followed for a long time, can confirm the authors’ hypothesis.

Therefore, one must be attentive to any signs of rejection to start treatment at the very beginning.

 

Reviewed by Paulo Schor, ophthalmologist, free professor and director of innovation of the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp) and collaborator of the Faculty of Medicine of the Albert Einstein Hospital.

 

Follow Phelcom’s blog and stay on top of the main news about coronavirus and the eyes.

Img Eyer Footer Blog

FAST, SMART AND CONNECTED

The world’s first portable retinal camera with high-quality

request a quote

Icon Button Request A QuoteRequest a Quote

Fechar

Ico Back

Later

Request a quote

Fill out the form below and we will contact you shortly.

    Ico Form Success

    Request a Quote

    Our team will contact you shortly.

    Close

    …complete suas informações

      By clicking the Complete button I allow Phelcom to contact me regarding the above request and I declare that I have read and accept the terms of Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
      Ico Back

      Depois

      Ico Form Success

      Obrigado por completar suas informações

      FECHAR

      Ico Back

      Depois

      Solicite e comece SEU TEST DRIVE

      Por favor, preencha o formulário abaixo que entraremos em contato.

        x

        Solicitar Orçamento

        Ao clicar em Solicitar, concordo com a Política de Privacidade e os Termos de Uso, permito que a Phelcom me contate e reconheço que o Eyer é um dispositivo médico (Anvisa classe II) exigindo a supervisão de um profissional com CRM para uso e interpretação das imagens.
        Ico Form Success

        Obrigado!

        Nosso time comercial logo entrará em contato para finalizar o processo.

        FECHAR

        Ico Back

        Later

        Request more information

        Please fill out the form below and we will contact you.

          x

          Request EyerMaps

          By clicking the Request button I allow Phelcom to contact me regarding the above request and I declare that I have read and accept the terms of Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
          Ico Form Success

          Thank you!

          Our commercial team will contact you shortly to finalize the process.Our commercial team will contact you shortly to finalize the process.
          CLOSE