CAUDA EQUINA SYNDROME DUE TO BLOOD-CLOTTING AFTER USING COVID-19 VACCINE: A RARE CASE REPORT

Pham Trong Thoan1, Tran Huy Hung1,, Bui Thi Thanh Van2
1 Department of Spinal Surgery, 108 Military Central Hospital
2 Outpatien Department, 108 Military Central Hospital

Main Article Content

Abstract

Background: The Covid-19 epidemic has brought about severe consequences to human lives and societies worldwide. While it is undeniable that vaccines bring great benefits in fighting Covid-19, there are still concerns regarding complications from these urgently circulated vaccines, one of them being blood coagulation. Cauda equina is a rare acute spinal pathology capable of leaving extreme sequelae and even less common when caused by intradural blood-clotting. Case presentation: We would like to introduce a 52-year-old male patient with no medical history. 10 days after receiving his second AstraZeneca dose suddenly experienced paralysis in his left leg, urinary retention, and acute lower back pain. The patient underwent treatment at a local hospital for 07 days and was later transferred to our hospital with no improvements. He received emergency laminectomy of L2, remove intradural blood-clotting, and decompression. Although no pain was retained post-suregery and the patient attended physiotherapy, there was no significant progress in urinary functions as well as his left leg mobility. Discussion and conclusion: Cauda equina due to intradural blood-clotting is rare but, just like other conditions, requires urgent treatment or will otherwise leave severe consequences. Though vaccines’ benefits far outweigh their risks, monitorial and preventive measures should be taken to treat postinoculation blood-clotting.

Article Details

References

1. Ashwin Kumaria et al., Facet joint cyst haematoma: a rare cause of cauda equina syndrome, British Journal of Neurosurgery, 11 Sep 2019.
2. Sara Morais , Eugénia Cruz., Guidelines on: COVID-19 Vaccine Induced Thrombosis, Bleeding, and Thrombocytopenia, Acta Med Port, 2021 Jun 18.
3. Anne-Mette Hvas et al., SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-induced immune thrombosis and thrombocytopenia, Ugeskr Laeger, 2021 Jul 19;183(29):V05210473.
4. Muhammad UH et al., COVID-19 Vaccine-Associated Thrombosis With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS): A Systematic Review and Post Hoc Analysis, Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis Volume 27: 1-8, 7 September 2021.
5. Giuseppe Famularo, COVID‑19 vaccines and thrombosis, Internal and Emergency Medicine, 29 July 2021.
6. Paul R Hunter, Thrombosis after covid-19 vaccination, BMJ 2021;373:n958.
7. Greinacher A, Thiele T, Warkentin TE, Weisser K, Kyrle PA, Eichinger S. Thrombotic thrombocytopenia after ChAdOx1 nCov-19 vaccination. N Engl J Med 2021.
8. Schultz NH, Sørvoll IH, Michelsen AE, et al. Thrombosis and thrombocytopenia after ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination. N Engl J Med 2021.