SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-associated subacute thyroiditis.

PURPOSE: With coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), subacute thyroiditis (SAT) cases are on the rise all over the world. COVID-19 vaccine-associated SAT cases have also been reported. In this article, we present our data on 11 vaccine-associated SAT cases. METHODS: Eleven patients were included in the study. Type of the vaccines patients received, time to the occurrence of SAT after vaccination, symptoms and laboratory findings, treatment given, and response to treatment were evaluated. RESULTS: The age of patients ranged from 26 to 73. Four of the patients were males, and seven were females. Symptoms of six patients were seen after BNT162b2 Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine®, and four of them after Coronavac inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine®. In one patient, SAT developed after the first dose of BNT162b2, administered after two doses of Coronavac. The average time to the onset of symptoms was 22 days (15-37) after vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: The fact that both whole virus containing and genetic material containing vaccines cause SAT suggests that the trigger may be viral proteins rather than the whole viral particle. Although corticosteroids are commonly preferred in published vaccine-associated SAT cases, we preferred nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory therapy in our patients for sufficient vaccine antibody response. There is not enough information about whether patients who develop SAT can be revaccinated safely considering the ongoing pandemic. Further research is needed for a conclusion in the treatment and revaccination of these patients.

Euglycemic Diabetic Ketoacidosis Associated with Empagliflozin Use in the Course of the SARS-Cov-2 Pandemic

Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are among the new generation oral anti-diabetic drugs that have started to be used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although these drugs are highly beneficial, life-threatening side effects such as euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (eDKA) are reported with their use. In eDKA, metabolic acidosis and anion gap appear in blood gases and serum glucose in less than 200 mg/dl.This can delay diagnosis and treatment. In our case, a 42-year female presented to the Emergency Room with nausea and vomiting. It was observed that the patient had been using empagliflozin for a year. Her blood gas analyses and laboratory tests showed metabolic acidosis and ketosis. The patient was initially suspected to be a case of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) complicating the course of diabetes, finally it was diagnosed as a case of eDKA due to empagliflozin use. We noticed that during the current pandemic, some other diagnoses can be missed or their diagnosis can be delayed. Key Words: Euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis, Empagliflozin, COVID-19, Diabetes mellitus.