Abstract

Vaccination is one of the most effective public health interventions for preventing infectious diseases. Although vaccines are generally safe, serious neurological adverse events may rarely occur after vaccination. In this report, we present a case of retrobulbar optic neuritis following tetanus-diphtheria and meningococcal vaccination in a healthy young man. The patient developed visual loss shortly after vaccination, and detailed clinical, radiological, and laboratory evaluations revealed no alternative etiological cause. Because of the strong temporal relationship and the exclusion of other possible causes, the case was considered a vaccine-related adverse event. Similar case reports may contribute to the recognition of vaccine-associated neurological complications and to a better understanding of their possible pathogenetic mechanisms.

Keywords: Vaccine side effect, optic neuritis, retrobulbar neuritis, diphtheria tetanus vaccine, meningococcal vaccine