Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis Following COVID-19 Vaccination: A Case Report

Background: Hypersensitivity or Leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV) following the COVID-19 vaccination has been reported rarely all over the world. LCV can be induced by certain factors such as infections, autoimmune disorders, malignancy, or some classes of drugs. Case presentation: A 32-year-old man, who was a known case of seizure disorder from his childhood presented to the department of dermatology with itchy red lesions on extremities and abdomen for the past 1 month. He explains a history of COVID-19 vaccination 1-month back and experienced itching on his lower limbs on the same day at night. A gradual worsening of the condition was observed day by day. He was hospitalized and diagnosed as LCV through clinical and laboratory findings. Conclusion: This case highlights a temporal association with the event of vaccination. The causality assessment showed an indeterminate causal association to LCV with COVID-19 Vaccination.

Vasculitis induced by biological agents used in rheumatology practice: A systematic review

Objectives: Biological medications have been used with an increasing frequency to treat rheumatological diseases. Autoimmune events can be induced by these drugs, such as psoriasiform lesions, alopecia, lupus and, vasculitis, which more often affects the skin (small-sized vessels) and eventually other organs. In this review, we describe the clinical profile of patients with vasculitis induced by the main biological agents used in rheumatology. Patients and methods: We performed a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendations. The PubMed database was used for searching eligible articles. We included case reports, case series, and letter to the editor of patients on anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNF-a) molecules, as well as tocilizumab, ustekinumab, secukinumab, rituximab, and abatacept, who had vasculitis induced by these agents. Results: Eighty-one articles were included for final analysis (n=89). Twenty-seven patients were using infliximab, 20 adalimumab, 18 etanercept, seven secukinumab, four certolizumab, four rituximab, three golimumab, three ustekinumab, two abatacept, and one tocilizumab. Unspecific leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV) was the most common type of vasculitis (n=37), followed by anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)- associated vasculitis (n=16). The medication was replaced with another biological molecule in 23 cases, with only four relapses. In six cases, the biological was maintained, but vasculitis worsened/persisted in one case, being necessary drug removal. Conclusion: Infections, infusion reaction, cancer, and autoimmune events are well-known side effects of biological therapy. This review demonstrates that vasculitis is another adverse effect of this type of therapy, particularly the anti-TNF-a molecules, and LCV the most reported type of vasculitis.

An Unusual Case of IgA Vasculitis with Multisystemic Involvement

Background: Immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV) is one of the most common vasculitis in children. It is generally a self-limiting disease. Due to its systemic nature, a variety of symptoms in different organs can be observed. We report a case of IgAV characterized by several complications to improve clinicians’ understanding of the disease. Case presentation: A 4-year-old boy was admitted to a local hospital because of abdominal pain and skin rash. The skin biopsy showed leukocytoclastic vasculitis with IgA deposition, consistented with a diagnosis of IgAV. He developed clinical signs of intussusception and laparotomy was undertaken. He continued to have intermittent abdominal pain and edema in the four limbs with oliguria. Elevated pancreatic enzymes and swelling of the pancreas on abdominal ultrasound suggested a combination of pancreatitis in the child. The child subsequently developed headache, dizziness and convulsions, and head MRI showed a high signal on the left side of the cortex and subcortical white matter, and he was considered to have developed cerebral vasculitis.He underwent bronchoscopy because of respiratory distress, which which confirmed the presence of pulmonary hemorrhage. Combined pulmonary infections added to the severity and complexity of his condition. He received two courses of methylprednisolone pulse therapy combined with IVIG and aggressive anti-infective therapy, but his condition eventually deteriorated and he died. Conclusions: IgAV can involve multiple systems and various complications. There is no definitive evidence to support a single drug or multi- immunosuppressive regimen. IgAV usually runs a benign course,however, the severe cases are critical, with a high mortality rate.

Case Report: Vasculitis Triggered by SIRT in a Patient With Previously Untreated Cholangiocarcinoma

Arising from the biliary tract, cholangiocarcinoma is a rare and aggressive epithelial cancer. According to the primary site, it can be further classified into intrahepatic, perihilar and distal types. Due to the lack of symptoms early in the disease course, most patients are diagnosed at advanced stages. Being not candidates for curative surgical management, these patients are treated with palliative systemic chemotherapy, and their prognosis remains poor. Using radioisotopes like yttrium-90 -labeled microspheres (90Y), radioembolization represents a local approach to treat primary and secondary liver tumors. In the case of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, radioembolization can be used as a primary treatment, as an adjunct to chemotherapy or after failing chemotherapy. An 88-year-old man underwent radioembolization for a previously untreated stage II intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. One week later, he presented to our clinic with a non-pruritic maculopapular rash of the lower extremities and abdomen, worsening fatigue and low-grade fever. Laboratory exams, including hepatitis screening, were within normal limits. Showing positive immunofluorescence staining for immunoglobulin M (IgM) and complement 3 (C3) in vessel walls without IgA involvement, the skin biopsy results were compatible with leukocytoclastic vasculitis. Apart from the anticancer intervention, there have been no recent medication changes which could explain this complication. Notably, we did not observe any side effects during or after the perfusion scan with technetium-99m macroaggregated albumin (MAA) performed prior to radioembolization. The symptoms resolved quickly after a short course of colchicine and did not reappear at cholangiocarcinoma progression. In the absence of other evident causes, we conclude that the onset of leukocytoclastic vasculitis in our patient was directly linked to the administration of yttrium-90 -labeled microspheres. Our report therefore demonstrates that this condition can be a rare but manageable complication of 90Y liver radioembolization.

Serious events following COVID-19 vaccination with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (Vaxzevria): a short case series from Iran

The COVID-19 vaccination programs have sparked several concerns and ongoing debates over safety issues. Here, we presented three cases of patients with serious adverse events, encephalopathy; Vaccine induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia, and Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis, after receiving the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine.