Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia: an emerging disease during the COVID-19 pandemic
Raimundo Brito Neto1, Naiade Couto2, Gabriel Avellar3, Jacques Kaufman1, Jonadab Silva1
1Hospital Universitario Antonio Pedro, 2Naiade Couto, 3Complexo Hospitalar de Niteroi
Objective:
To describe a case of vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia
Background:

35-year-old was admitted to the emergency in late April 2021 with a headache and a single episode. Had a history of COVID-19 infection in January 2021, gastroplasty in 2018, and received her first dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine 8 days prior. Besides the worsening headache (rating 7/10), she developed severe thrombocytopenia (platelets 31,000/mm3) and was then hospitalized. Head CT revealed no alterations. Four days after, there was no clinical or laboratory evidence of thrombosis (D-dimer 16.56ng/ml). The initial diagnosis was immune thrombocytopenic purpura and corticosteroids as treatment. A month after, the patient presented with a sudden onset of headache and decreased consciousness, platelet count 54,000/mm3, normal PT and PTT, and GCS of 12. CT revealed left fronto-temporo-parietal intraparenchymal hemorrhagic with midline shift and intraventricular hemorrhage. CT angiogram revealed thrombosis of the left sigmoid vein, left transverse vein, left jugular bulb, and superior sagittal sinus. A left decompressive craniectomy with extensive hematoma drainage was performed. After surgical treatment, immunoglobulin is administered due to the possibility of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), along with fondaparinux anticoagulation. Anti-heparin antibody was elevated 218 U/ml (normal < 1.0 U/ml). She underwent mechanical thrombectomy with stent placement under aspiration, resulting in recanalization of the transverse venous sinus. Anticoagulation was switched to apixaban, and plasmapheresis was scheduled two days after the procedure due to severe acute anemia and neurological deterioration. On the same day as the procedure, CT angiography revealed occlusion of the dural venous sinuses. Despite treatment with methylprednisolone, anti-platelet aggregation, and rituximab, brain death occurred 3 months after the initial presentation.

Design/Methods:
NA
Results:
NA
Conclusions:
The COVID-19 vaccine can bring complications. We still need explanations in the literature.
10.1212/WNL.0000000000204213