JOURNAL OF STROKE: STROKE ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19 VACCINES

JOURNAL OF STROKE AND CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASES
REVIEW ARTICLE | VOLUME 31, ISSUE 6, 106440, JUNE 01, 2022
Stroke Associated with COVID-19 Vaccines
Maryam Kakovan
Samaneh Ghorbani Shirkouhi
Mojtaba Zarei
Sasan Andalib
Open Access
Published:
March 03, 2022
DOI:https:// doi. org/10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2022.106440Abstract
Objectives
Development of safe and effective vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains the cornerstone of controlling this pandemic. However, there are increasing reports of various types of stroke including ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke, as well as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) after COVID-19 vaccination. This paper aims to review reports of stroke associated with COVID-19 vaccines and provide a coherent clinical picture of this condition.
Materials and methods
A literature review was performed with a focus on data from recent studies.
Results
Most of such patients are women under 60 years of age and who had received ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine. Most studies reported CVST with or without secondary ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, and some with Vaccine-induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT). The most common clinical symptom of CVST seen after COVID-19 vaccination was headache. The clinical course of CVST after COVID-19 vaccination may be more severe than CVST not associated with COVID vaccination. Management of CVST following COVID-19 vaccination is challenging and may differ from the standard treatment of CVST. Low molecular weight heparin is commonly used in the treatment of CVST; however, it may worsen outcomes in CVST associated with VITT. Furthermore, administration of intravenous immunoglobulin and high-dose glucocorticoids have been recommended with various success rates.

Conclusion
These contradictory observations are a source of confusion in clinical decision-making and warrant further study and development of clinical guidelines. Clinicians should be aware of clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of stroke associated with COVID-19 vaccination.
Many recent studies reported the occurrence of stroke after administration of COVID-19 vaccination. All forms of stroke including ischemic, ICH, and CVST have been encountered. Most of the evidence pertaining to stroke following COVID-19 vaccination are case reports, therefore, the incidence of stroke after COVID-19 vaccination is not precisely known. Most patients who suffered from stroke after COVID-19 vaccination were women, under 60 years of age, and after the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine.

Clinicians should be aware of the possible stroke after COVID-19 vaccination to ensure rapid diagnosis and treatment. CVST is an important phenomenon that may occur after COVID-19 vaccination and is mostly associated with VITT. The diagnosis of VITT-associated stroke should be made with high suspicion because of its rapid and diverse clinical manifestations. Stroke should be considered when a patient develops any neurological complaints, especially constant headaches, within 4 weeks of COVID-19 vaccination. These patients should urgently be evaluated for possible VITT with laboratory tests such as platelet count, D-dimer, anti-PF4 antibody, fibrinogen level, and brain imaging, especially cerebral venography. Concurrent thrombosis including DVT, PTE, and splanchnic venous thrombosis should be ruled out in patients who suffered from VITT-associated CVST. Furthermore, other differential diagnoses including APS, DIC, ITP, thrombotic-thrombocytopenic purpura, atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, and underlying malignant diseases should be taken into account. Notably, the latest guidelines should be considered for VITT management; however, clinicians should eventually act according to the specific condition of each patient. Since the management of VITT is challenging, they should be managed by a multidisciplinary team from different disciplines including hematology, neurology, stroke, neurosurgery, and neuroradiology.

Finally, since the advantages of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the risk of stroke or any other neurological complication, the public should be reassured that the vaccination program is still the best way to combat COVID-19.

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Video download: https://bit.ly/3Ofpypz
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