A suspected case of drug-induced lung injury caused by a COVID-19 vaccine (COMIRNATY®)
Yoshihisa Nukui Tatsuo Kawahara Satoshi Hanzawa
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shuuwa General Hospital
A 75-year-old male in a rehabilitation hospital received a COVID-19 vaccine (COMIRNATY®) for the first time on day X-8. Fever was observed on day X-2, and chest computed tomography (CT) showed bilateral diffuse ground-glass opacities on day X-1. He was referred to our hospital on day X and was admitted due to respiratory failure. We suspected drug-induced lung injury due to the COVID-19 vaccine. The lymphocyte count in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was elevated and histological examination of a transbronchial lung biopsy specimen revealed lymphocytic alveolitis. These findings are consistent with drug-induced lung injury. CT revealed that the findings of ground-glass opacities had improved spontaneously. Based on the above, we concluded that a drug-induced lung injury due to the COVID-19 vaccine was the most probable cause of the patient's presentation.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccine Drug-induced lung injury
Received 18 Sep 2021 / Accepted 2 Dec 2021
AJRS, 11(2): 63-67, 2022