Acute inflammatory transverse myelitis post-Pfizer-BioNTech-COVID-19 vaccine in 16-year-old

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) originated in China in early March 2019. Saudi Food and Drug Authority approved the registration of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia on December 10, 2020, and on May 10, 2021, Pfizer-BioNTech was given an authorized emergency use in 12–15-years-old children. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health started Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination for 12–18-years-old on June 27, 2021. Here, we have a case of a 16-year-old female admitted to the medical ward diagnosed with acute inflammatory transverse myelitis after 2 weeks from second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The diagnosis was based on normal laboratory workup but significant radiological findings. She was discharged after a full recovery. There are multiple cases of post-vaccine acute inflammatory transverse myelitis shared by medical journals, but due to lack of literature review for the teenager population, we think our case may be the first case of acute inflammatory transverse myelitis following second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in this population.

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