Pernio-like skin lesions after the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine

Cases of Pernio-Like Lesions after mRNA-1273 Vaccination with Clinical and Pathological Features: A Single-Center Experience

The currently available coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines in South Korea include mRNA (Moderna® and Pfizer®) and adenoviral vector (AstraZeneca® and Janssen®) vaccines. Dermatologic side effects of COVID-19 vaccines range from local injection site reactions to systemic eruptions, including morbilliform rashes or erythema multiforme. Pernio-like lesions, one of the most common cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19, have been rarely reported post-vaccination. Herein, we report four cases of pernio-like lesions, which were detected in a single tertiary hospital within 2 months, after the first dose of mRNA-1273 (Moderna®) vaccination was administered. In this study, we discuss the clinical and pathological features of our cases and compare them with those of previously reported cases of pernio-like lesions after COVID-19 vaccination. It is pivotal to realize that perniolike lesions can be a possible side effect of COVID-19 vaccination and that the number of patients experiencing this side effect is bound to be quite high in real-world clinical settings.

COVID-associated non-vasculitic thrombotic retiform purpura of the face and extremities: A case report

SARS-CoV-2 infection can manifest many rashes. However, thrombotic retiform purpura rarely occurs during COVID-19 illness. Aggressive anti-COVID-19 therapy with a high-dose steroid regimen led to rapid recovery. This immunothrombotic phenomenon likely represents a poor type 1 interferon response and complement activation on the endothelial surface in response to acute infection.

Cutaneous Reactions Following COVID-19 Vaccination: A Review of the Current Literature

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) represented a new worldwide challenge, strongly impacting on the global economy, overall health and lifestyle. Since then, several strategies have been adopted to contain the widespread of infection. Among these, vaccination is currently the most important measure to fight against the pandemic. However, several concerns such as slower-than-hoped-for rollout, the hurried approval with limited data, the mechanism of action (in particular mRNA-based), and the uncertain duration of protection they afforded were initially raised. Moreover, even if cutaneous reactions have been rarely reported in clinical trials, global mass vaccination showed several dermatologic reactions not initially recognized, leaving dermatologists to decide how to diagnose and treat them. In this scenario, dermatologists should be ready to promptly recognize these clinical manifestations. Thus, the aim of this manuscript is to review current literature on cutaneous reactions following COVID-19 vaccination, particularly inflammatory dermatological diseases, in order to help clinicians to better understand these dermatological conditions and to provide an extensive overview of all the vaccine-related skin manifestations.

SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination and Chilblain-like Lesions: What Do We Know so Far?

INTRODUCTION

The coronavirus pandemic has caused massive damage to global health care and the economy. The vaccination program has been paced around the globe to return as soon as possible to pre-COVID time. Although all the vaccines have been approved after the rigorous clinical and safety trials, some adverse effects have surfaced and are being reported from different parts of the world. One such side effect is chilblain-like lesions following the COVID vaccination. Chilblain lesions, also known as pernio, are an inflammatory condition usually affecting the acral regions of the body. It is mostly reported from cold and damp areas and has multiple causes associated with it.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to review the publicly available data and to provide concise and comprehensive information as well as evaluate the potential pathology, clinical approach, and management of CLL post-vaccination.

METHODS

An extensive literature search over PubMed, Cochrane library, Google Scholar, and Clinicaltrails. gov from inception till 5th October 2021, without any restriction of language was carried out. All the recruited articles were reviewed, and their bibliographies were also screened for any relevant information.

RESULTS

12 studies (10 case reports and 2 case series) were retrieved reporting the incidence of CLL post-vaccination. 8 studies reported incidence in female patients while 5 reported in males, with one study mentioning no gender. Moreover, most of them were either from Europe or the United States of America, except for two cases, reported from Turkey.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the overall incidence of Chilblains following COVID-19 vaccination is low, there is still a strong need to find out the exact mechanism behind this to redefine the safety and administration criteria of the vaccines and to formulate a proper management protocol.

Global prevalence and clinical manifestations of cutaneous adverse reactions following COVID-19 vaccination: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Although vaccination is widely accepted as an effective method of preventing and controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are concerned about possible cutaneous side effects which can delay or prevent them from being vaccinated. The objectives of this systematic review were to assess the global prevalence and clinical manifestations of cutaneous adverse reactions following COVID-19 vaccination. PubMed and Scopus databases were searched for articles published from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2021, and reference lists for each selected article were screened. Case reports, case series, observational studies, and randomized controlled trials that provided information on cutaneous adverse reactions following COVID-19 vaccines were included. A total of 300 studies were included in a systematic review of which 32 studies with 946,366 participants were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of cutaneous manifestations following COVID-19 vaccination was 3.8% (95% CI, 2.7%-5.3%). COVID-19 vaccines based on the mRNA platform had a higher prevalence than other platforms at 6.9% (95% CI, 3.8%-12.3%). Various cutaneous manifestations have been reported from injection site reactions which were the most common (72.16%) to uncommon adverse reactions such as delayed inflammatory reactions to tissue filler (0.07%) and flares of pre-existing dermatoses (0.07%). Severe cutaneous reactions such as anaphylaxis have also been reported, but in rare cases (0.05%). In conclusion, cutaneous adverse reactions are common, especially in those receiving mRNA vaccines. Most reactions are mild and are not contraindications to subsequent vaccination except for anaphylaxis, which rarely occurs. COVID-19 vaccination may also be associated with flares of pre-existing dermatoses and delayed inflammatory reactions to tissue filler. Patients with a history of allergies, pre-existing skin conditions, or scheduled for filler injections should receive additional pre-counseling and monitoring. A better understanding of potential side effects may strengthen public confidence in those wary of new vaccine technologies.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-related cutaneous manifestations: a systematic review

To date, over 250 million people have been reportedly infected by COVID‐19 disease, which has spread across the globe and led to approximately 5.1 million fatalities. To prevent both COVID‐19 and viral transmission, DNA‐based/RNA‐based vaccines, non‐replicating viral vector vaccines, and inactivated vaccines have been recently developed. However, a precise clinical and histological characterization of SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine‐related dermatological manifestations is still lacking. A systematic review of 229 articles was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, in order to provide an extensive overview of SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine‐related skin manifestations. Data on demographics, number of reported cases with cutaneous involvement, vaccine, and rash type (morphology) were extracted from articles and summarized. A total of 5941 SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine‐related dermatological manifestations were gathered. Local injection‐site reactions were the most frequently observed, followed by rash/unspecified cutaneous eruption, urticarial rashes, angioedema, herpes zoster, morbilliform/maculopapular/erythematous macular eruption, pityriasis rosea and pityriasis rosea‐like eruptions, and other less common dermatological manifestations. Flares of pre‐existing dermatological conditions were also reported. Cutaneous adverse reactions following SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine administration seem to be heterogeneous, rather infrequent, and not life‐threatening. Vaccinated patients should be monitored for skin manifestations, and dermatological evaluation should be offered, when needed.