Transverse Myelitis 48 Hours After the Administration of an mRNA COVID 19 Vaccine

McLean, Patrick; Trefts, Lori

Background: Vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2 have been a topic of political, social, and medical intrigue since the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. The vaccine side effects have been relatively mild to date, with few observed systemic effects. Case presentation: A 69-year-old previously healthy female presented with symptoms 2 days after vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine of asymmetric bilateral lower and upper extremity weakness. MRI of the cervical spine revealed a non-compressive myelitis extending from C3-4 to T2-3. Common known causes of transverse myelitis were ruled out by diagnostic techniques. Conclusions: Transverse myelitis is a rare autoimmune disorder that has been shown to have a temporal association with vaccination in the past. With a progressively partisan societal view on vaccinations, it is important for clinicians to remain vigilant on documenting potential associations without encouraging fear of causation.