COVID 19-vaccine related lymphadenopathy

Case contributed by Dalia Ibrahim
Diagnosis almost certain

Presentation

History of treated colon cancer, under follow-up.

Patient Data

Age: 60 years
Gender: Male

No recurrent FDG avid colonic masses.

No FDG avid distant metastasis.

Focal increased FDG uptake at the left deltoid muscle.

Increased FDG uptake by mildly enlarged reactive left axillary lymph nodes.

 

Focal increased FDG uptake at the left deltoid muscle.

Increased FDG uptake by mildly enlarged reactive left axillary lymph nodes.

Case Discussion

The patient had focal hypermetabolic uptake in the deltoid muscle of the left shoulder with hypermetabolic left axillary lymph nodes due to mRNA BNT-162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine) vaccine administrated 2 days ago prior to PET-CT scan.

Vaccines are very important measures to provide protection against COVID‐19 infection.

Side effects of the vaccines are reported, including:

  • mild to moderate pain at the injection site within 7 days after vaccine administration
  • systemic side effects including fever, myalgia, headache, fatigue, and chills
  • axillary and supraclavicular lymphadenopathy ipsilateral to the injection site
  • paroxysmal ventricular arrhythmia
  • leg paresthesia
  • anaphylaxis

 

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