Vulvar aphthous ulcer in an adolescent after Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) COVID-19 vaccination

Abstract

<div class="section"> <a class="named-anchor" id="d5723660e118"> <!-- named anchor --> </a> <h5 class="section-title" id="d5723660e119">Background</h5> <p id="d5723660e121">Vulvar aphthous ulcers are a rare type of genital lesion most common in non-sexually active adolescents. Vulvar aphthous ulcers are typically associated with viral infections. To date, there have been several cases reported in patients infected with COVID-19. Vulvar aphthous ulcers have not been previously reported in the literature following vaccination. </p> </div><div class="section"> <a class="named-anchor" id="d5723660e123"> <!-- named anchor --> </a> <h5 class="section-title" id="d5723660e124">Case</h5> <p id="d5723660e126">We present the case of a 16-year-old adolescent who developed vulvar aphthous ulceration following Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) vaccination. </p> </div><div class="section"> <a class="named-anchor" id="d5723660e128"> <!-- named anchor --> </a> <h5 class="section-title" id="d5723660e129">Summary and Conclusion</h5> <p id="d5723660e131">Through an extensive literature search, we found no previous reports of vulvar aphthous ulcer following vaccination. Our case highlights a potential novel side effect of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination and a new etiology for vulvar aphthous ulcers. This case suggests that vulvar aphthous ulcers may be associated with COVID-19 vaccination through a yet undetermined mechanism that requires further investigation. </p> </div>