Case Reports
Clinical and Radiological Follow-Up of a Pfizer- BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine-Induced Hemichorea-Hemiballismus
Authors:
- Cédric Batot
- Maryane Chea
- Sinead Zeidan
- Marie Mongin
- Gabriel POP
- Julie Mazoyer
- Bertrand DegosEmail Bertrand Degos
Abstract
Background: Hemichorea-hemiballismus is a rare hyperkinetic movement disorder.
Case Report: A 90-year-old male developed left hemichorea-hemiballismus after his second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. A wide range of investigations including magnetic resonance imaging did not reveal an alternative cause. [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) showed increases in right putamen fixation compared to the left side. The patient showed significant improvement after five days of intravenous corticosteroids, with a normal FDG-PET.
Discussion: This hemichorea-hemiballismus case shows dynamic restoration of putamen metabolism mirroring clinical evolution after administration of corticosteroids, suggesting an autoimmune COVID-19 vaccine-induced reaction.
- Year: 2022
- Volume: 12
- Page/Article: 16
- DOI: 10.5334/tohm.688
- Submitted on 1 Feb 2022
- Accepted on 14 Apr 2022
- Published on 18 May 2022
- Peer Reviewed