Abstract
Introduction/Aims: We aimed to determine whether specific severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) vaccines may be associated with acute-onset polyradiculoneuropathy and if they may result in particular clinical presentations. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed records of all persons presenting with acute-onset polyradiculoneuropathy from January 1, 2021, to June 30, 2021, admitted to two Neuroscience centers, of the West and North Midlands, United Kingdom. We compared subjects with previous SARS-CoV2 vaccine exposure with a local cohort of persons with acute-onset polyradiculoneuropathy admitted between 2005 and 2019 and compared admission numbers for the studied time frame with that of the previous 3 years. Results: Of 24 persons with acute-onset polyradiculoneuropathy, 16 (66.7%) presented within 4 weeks after first SARS-CoV2 vaccine. Fourteen had received the AstraZeneca vaccine and one each, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The final diagnosis was Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in 12 and acute-onset chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy in 4. Among AstraZeneca vaccine recipients, facial weakness in nine persons (64.3%), bulbar weakness in seven (50%), and the bifacial weakness and distal paresthesias GBS variant in three (21.4%), were more common than in historical controls (P =.01; P =.004, and P =.002, respectively). A 2.6-fold (95% confidence interval: 1.98–3.51) increase in admissions for acute-onset polyradiculoneuropathy was noted during the studied time frame, compared to the same period in the previous 3 years. Discussion: Despite a low risk, smaller than that of SARS-CoV2 infection and its complications, exposure to the first dose of AstraZeneca SARS-CoV2 vaccine may be a risk factor for acute-onset polyradiculoneuropathy, characterized by more common cranial nerve involvement.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 233-237 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Muscle and Nerve |
Volume | 65 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 16 Nov 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Feb 2022 |
Bibliographical note
This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Loo, L.K., Salim, O., Liang, D., Goel, A., Sumangala, S., Gowda, A.S., Davies, B. and Rajabally, Y.A. (2021), Acute-onset polyradiculoneuropathy after SARS-CoV2 vaccine in the West and North Midlands, United Kingdom. Muscle & Nerve. Accepted Author Manuscript., which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/mus.27461. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.Keywords
- Guillain-Barré syndrome
- chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy
- polyradiculoneuropathy