Lymphedema of the Arm after COVID-19 Vaccination in a Patient with Hidden Breast Cancer and Paraneoplastic Dermatomyositis

Rare Diseases Unit, Azienda USL Toscana Centro, Section of Dermatology, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, European Reference Network Skin Member, 50125 Florence, Italy

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Academic Editor: Angelos Hatzakis

Vaccines 2022, 10(8), 1219; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10081219

Received: 1 July 2022 / Revised: 23 July 2022 / Accepted: 26 July 2022 / Published: 30 July 2022

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Abstract

The pandemic outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) led to the development of mRNA vaccines. With the extensive vaccination campaign performed worldwide, many adverse reactions to these drugs have been reported in the literature. Although most of them are mild and self-limiting, they may sometimes cause psychological stress and require efforts to make a differential diagnosis with other conditions. This is the case of lymphadenopathies and lymphedema in patients with a history of cancer. Herein we present a case of lymphedema of the arm developed ten days after a VAXZEVRIA COVID-19 vaccine shot in a patient who had concomitant signs and symptoms compatible with a diagnosis of dermatomyositis. It was later classified as paraneoplastic as instrumental investigation revealed a breast carcinoma contralateral to the site of vaccine injection. With this report we ponder an adverse reaction to COVID-19 vaccination with the aim of bringing new data for clinicians who face similar clinical presentations, particularly controversial for radiologists and oncologists. View Full-Text

Keywords: COVID-19 vaccine; adverse reaction; lymphedema

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MDPI and ACS Style

Aimo, C.; Mariotti, E.B.; Corrà, A.; Quintarelli, L.; Bianchi, B.; Verdelli, A.; Ruffo di Calabria, V.; Caproni, M. Lymphedema of the Arm after COVID-19 Vaccination in a Patient with Hidden Breast Cancer and Paraneoplastic Dermatomyositis. Vaccines 2022, 10, 1219. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10081219

AMA Style

Aimo C, Mariotti EB, Corrà A, Quintarelli L, Bianchi B, Verdelli A, Ruffo di Calabria V, Caproni M. Lymphedema of the Arm after COVID-19 Vaccination in a Patient with Hidden Breast Cancer and Paraneoplastic Dermatomyositis. Vaccines. 2022; 10(8):1219. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10081219

Chicago/Turabian Style

Aimo, Cristina, Elena Biancamaria Mariotti, Alberto Corrà, Lavinia Quintarelli, Beatrice Bianchi, Alice Verdelli, Valentina Ruffo di Calabria, and Marzia Caproni. 2022. "Lymphedema of the Arm after COVID-19 Vaccination in a Patient with Hidden Breast Cancer and Paraneoplastic Dermatomyositis" Vaccines 10, no. 8: 1219. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10081219

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Lymphedema of the Arm after COVID-19 Vaccination in a Patient with Hidden Breast Cancer and Paraneoplastic Dermatomyositis

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