Bilateral Optic Neuritis After Administration of Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine: A Case Report

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, various efforts have been taken to alleviate the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV2). Studies have shown effective prevention and protection through vaccination. However, there have also been reports of neurologic diseases after vaccination.

The first case in the Philippines belonged to a 25-year-old female who initially sought a consult for the increased sleeping time associated with retrograde amnesia immediately after receiving her second dose of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. She was then managed as a case of viral encephalitis. However, two weeks later, the patient developed a bilateral decline in visual acuity. Diagnostics included visual perimetry, routine EEG, contrastenhanced cranial MRI, and visual evoked potentials. The patient was then managed as a case of bilateral optic neuritis and was started on pulse methylprednisolone for 3 days with noted gradual but incomplete reversal of the condition.

Autoimmune neurologic events after COVID-19 vaccination are treatable, and the benefits of the vaccination outweigh its risk.