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INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines have been reported to have ocular side effects including scleritis and episcleritis. PURPOSE: To report scleritis and episcleritis within a month following administration of COVID-19 vaccine. METHODS: Retrospective case series. RESULTS: 15 eyes of 12 consecutive patients with scleritis and episcleritis from March 2021 to September 2021 were included. The mean time of onset of symptoms in patients with scleritis was 15.7 days (range, 4-30) and for episcleritis it was 13.2 days (range 2-30). Patients received COVISHIELD™ (10 patients) and COVAXIN™ (2 patients). Five patients had denovo inflammation and seven had recurrent inflammation. Episcleritis patients were treated with topical steroids and systemic COX2 inhibitors while patients with scleritis were treated with topical steroids/oral steroids/antiviral medications depending on the aetiology. CONCLUSION: Scleritis and episcleritis following COVID-19 vaccination are milder and do not require intensive immunosuppression except in rare cases.
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PURPOSE: To describe a case of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV 1) infection following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in an Asian Indian female. METHODS: Retrospective case report. RESULT: A 40-year-old female presented with decreased vision, pain, and photophobia of 2 weeks duration. She reported receiving the second dose of COVISHIELDTM (ChAdOx1-S [recombinant]) 1 week prior to the onset of ocular symptoms. Left eye examination revealed granulomatous anterior uveitis. Aqueous sample from the left eye tested positive for HSV1 by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) method. She was managed with oral antiviral therapy, topical steroids, and cycloplegic agent and showed significant improvement of inflammation within 1 week and resolved within 3 weeks. CONCLUSION: This report demonstrates a potential association of HSV 1 anterior uveitis with COVID-19 vaccination. A high index of suspicion of viral etiology is warranted when uveitis presents with reduced corneal sensations and pigmented keratic precipitates, following a recent history of COVID-19 vaccination.