TAFRO syndrome with a fatal clinical course following BNT162b2 mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech) COVID-19 vaccination: A case report

Abstract

TAFRO syndrome is a rare disorder that manifests as thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, reticulin myelofibrosis, renal dysfunction, and organomegaly. Although this disease often follows a severe clinical course, the cause remains unknown. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a major global problem. Vaccination against COVID-19 has been successful; however, there are concerns about severe adverse events. Herein, we report a rare presentation of TAFRO syndrome triggered by the COVID-19 vaccine with a fatal clinical course. A 42-year-old Japanese man presented to our hospital complaining of fever lasting for 2 weeks that occurred a day after receiving the BNT162b2 mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech) COVID-19 vaccine. The patient had a low platelet count, ascites, reticulin myelofibrosis, renal failure, and lymphadenopathy and was diagnosed with TAFRO syndrome. Despite administering several immunosuppressive drugs, the condition did not improve. The patient repetitively developed and eventually died of bacteremia caused by multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. We highlight the first reported case of TAFRO syndrome after COVID-19 vaccination.