Acute-onset dacryoadenitis following immunisation with mRNA COVID-19 vaccine

Abstract

A 14-year-old boy was referred to the ophthalmology department with a 4-day history of rapid-onset right upper lid pain, swelling and erythema starting 9 hours after his first dose of COVID-19 mRNA vaccination (BNT162b2/Comirnaty, Pfizer-BioNTech). On examination, he had significant right upper lid ptosis, oedema and erythema, with associated limitation of right eye abduction and elevation. He was found to have acute dacryoadenitis with orbital inflammatory disease on clinical and laboratory investigations. He was given tapering oral prednisone and had full resolution of symptoms within 2 weeks. This is the first known case of orbital inflammation after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. Given the temporal association between the patient’s vaccination and symptom onset, we believe it is likely that immunisation prompted the onset of disease.