*Correspondence: victoriareis20.2@bahiana.edu.br.
Abstract
Case Presentation: S.V.S, female, 14 years old, reports that in December 2021, 7 days after being vaccinated
for Covid-19 (Pfizer), she developed axial and lower limb weakness, progressing to
paraplegia, in addition to altered sensitivity, pain in the cervical, visual disturbs
and sphincter dysfunction. In the liquor, she presented serologies for Toxoplasmosis,
Cysticercosis, Schistosomiasis, HTLV I and II, VDRL, FTA ABS negatives and Aquaporin
reagent antibody. The MRI of the skull revealed bilateral and symmetrical frontotemporoparietoinsular
white matter signal alteration and the MRI of the spine revealed thickening and signal
alteration in the central portion of the cervicodorsal spinal cord, C3-D10, suggesting
inflammatory nature (myelitis). Given the clinical picture and findings in complementary
exams, the diagnosis of Neuromyelitis optica was made, treating initially with pulse
therapy for 5 days, followed by the administration of azathioprine, medication with
which the patient had an allergic reaction, being replaced by rituximab.
Discussion: Faced with the high transmissibility of the Sars-Cov-2 virus, scientists have joined
forces to create a vaccine against the pathogen to contain the progression of the
disease. Following the mass vaccination protocols, there has been an increase in reports
of inflammatory CNS diseases, which are considered rare especially in the pediatric
group. In this context, Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an autoimmune demyelinating
disease that damage the optic nerves and spinal cord with the prevalence of 0.5 to
1/105 mainly at females. With that said, the average interval between neurological
complications after vaccination varies according to the type of pathogen inoculated.
Final Comments: Vaccination comprises a series of important actions to stop mass contamination of
the population. However, it is essential to clarify the possible side effects of immunization
administration, such as demyelinating and autoimmune diseases. Therefore, doctors
should be aware of the pros and cons of vaccination and should know how to recognize
the signs and symptoms as well as the treatment of NMO. Furthermore, as the clinical
course of NMO is recurrent, it is important to observe how vaccination works in patients
with a definite diagnosis
