Coeliac artery and splenic artery thrombosis complicated with splenic infarction 7 days following the first dose of Oxford vaccination, causal relationship or coincidence?

BMJ Case Rep. 2021 Jul 14;14(7):e243799. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2021-243799.

Abstract

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 became a global pandemic in late 2019, and is still ongoing in 2021 causing significant morbidity and mortality. The advent of vaccinations heralded the turning of the tide. The Oxford jab, a vector-based vaccine was favoured due to its low cost and ease of storage. However, its potential association with thromboembolic adverse events resulted in controversy and disrupted its roll-out and use. The aetiopathogenesis of these thromboembolic events and its association with the Oxford vaccine are still speculative and uncertain, more so in the background of SARS-CoV-2 infection being highly thrombogenic in its own right. This paper presents a case of an otherwise healthy 50-year-old Caucasian man who developed acute abdominal pain 7 days following the first dose of Oxford vaccine and was found to have coeliac and splenic artery thrombosis complicated with splenic infarction.

Keywords: emergency medicine; global health.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19*
  • Celiac Artery / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Splenic Artery / diagnostic imaging
  • Splenic Infarction* / diagnostic imaging
  • Splenic Infarction* / etiology
  • Thrombosis* / etiology
  • Vaccination