TY - JOUR
T1 - Herpes zoster ophthalmicus temporally after COVID-19 vaccination
T2 - a systematic review of uncontrolled case reports and case series
AU - Muayad, Jawad
AU - Masood, Hamza
AU - Alam, Zaryab
AU - Loya, Asad
AU - Lee, Andrew G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2024 Baylor University Medical Center.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - Purpose: Herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) following COVID-19 vaccination has been reported previously but the clinical characteristics, onset, treatment, and outcomes of these cases have not been previously systematically reviewed. Methods: A systematic review, guided by PRISMA guidelines, surveyed PubMed and Embase databases from April 2021 to June 2023 for case reports and series detailing HZO following COVID-19 vaccination. Studies excluded were abstracts, reviews, and clinical trials. A subsequent descriptive analysis was performed, focusing on patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and outcomes. Results: Sixteen publications involving 27 participants who developed HZO post-COVID-19 vaccination met the inclusion criteria. The onset of HZO averaged 13 days (SD 12) postvaccination, predominantly after the first dose (n = 20/27 HZO cases, 74%). Most patients (70%) had preexisting medical conditions. Antiherpetic antiviral therapy was utilized in all cases, with the majority achieving resolution of cutaneous and ocular symptoms. Long-term sequelae included postherpetic neuralgia in 7.4% of patients. Conclusion: Cases of HZO following COVID-19 vaccination generally mirror the clinical trajectory of HZO in general. This review focused on case reports describing HZO occurring in an interval postvaccination; neither association nor causation can be addressed methodologically.
AB - Purpose: Herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) following COVID-19 vaccination has been reported previously but the clinical characteristics, onset, treatment, and outcomes of these cases have not been previously systematically reviewed. Methods: A systematic review, guided by PRISMA guidelines, surveyed PubMed and Embase databases from April 2021 to June 2023 for case reports and series detailing HZO following COVID-19 vaccination. Studies excluded were abstracts, reviews, and clinical trials. A subsequent descriptive analysis was performed, focusing on patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and outcomes. Results: Sixteen publications involving 27 participants who developed HZO post-COVID-19 vaccination met the inclusion criteria. The onset of HZO averaged 13 days (SD 12) postvaccination, predominantly after the first dose (n = 20/27 HZO cases, 74%). Most patients (70%) had preexisting medical conditions. Antiherpetic antiviral therapy was utilized in all cases, with the majority achieving resolution of cutaneous and ocular symptoms. Long-term sequelae included postherpetic neuralgia in 7.4% of patients. Conclusion: Cases of HZO following COVID-19 vaccination generally mirror the clinical trajectory of HZO in general. This review focused on case reports describing HZO occurring in an interval postvaccination; neither association nor causation can be addressed methodologically.
KW - COVID-19 vaccination
KW - herpes zoster ophthalmicus
KW - systematic review
KW - varicella-zoster virus
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U2 - 10.1080/08998280.2024.2426439
DO - 10.1080/08998280.2024.2426439
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85210914597
SN - 0899-8280
VL - 38
SP - 69
EP - 75
JO - Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings
JF - Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings
IS - 1
ER -