The Long-term Follow-up of Axillary Lymphadenopathies Developed After COVID-19 Vaccination and Their Relationship with Types of Vaccines COVID-19 Aşılaması Sonrası Gelişen Aksiller Lenfadenopatilerin Uzun Dönem Takibi ve Aşı Türleriyle İlişkisi

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Ünal S., Gürsoy M., PASİN Ö.

Anatolian Journal of General Medical Research, cilt.35, sa.3, ss.253-259, 2025 (Scopus, TRDizin)

Özet

Objective: To evaluate the long-term effects of the coronavirus disease-2019 vaccines on axillary lymph nodes (LN) and to examine the relationship between LN size, cortical thickness, and other morphological characteristics. Methods: A total of 182 patients were included in this study. Data on the size and cortical thickness of axillary LN on both sides, the vaccinated arm, the number and type of vaccines, patient height and weight was recorded. The relationships between LN size, cortical thickness, additional variables, and time were analyzed. Results: No significant relationship was found between the number of vaccine doses and LN size or cortical thickness. The vaccinated arm was the left arm. There was no significant relationship between the size of the left axillary LN and the right axillary LN. A significant increase in axillary LN size was observed correlated with body mass index (p<0.0001). When assessing the impact of the vaccine, a significant decrease in cortical thickness of the left axillary LN was observed in the patients presenting two weeks after vaccination (p=0.041). However, in the overall evaluation, the increase in left axillary LN cortical thickness was found to be significantly greater than the right axillary LN (p=0.049). When examining the time relationship (maximum 48 weeks), increase in left axillary LN cortex thickness was detected (p=0.437). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that cortical thickening of LNs persisted for an extended period (up to 48 weeks). This condition creates diagnostic challenges in patients with suspicious breast cancer findings, those under follow-up for a history of breast cancer, and in those who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Therefore, recording the vaccination history and comparing LN imaging before and after vaccination may help prevent unnecessary invasive procedures and misdiagnoses.