Around March and April this year, my urinary tumor doctor told me that he discovered that some people who have received the COVID-19 vaccine have recently experienced underarm lymphatic kidney disease.
Since most of the patients he takes care of are cancer patients or cancer survivors, he is particularly worried about new lumps appearing in his armpits.
We believed at the time that this should be a normal immune response to vaccination. We would observe it for four to six weeks. If the swelling and pain slowly subsided, it could be diagnosed as a benign reaction.
However, if there is no improvement, an ultrasound-guided sample test may be needed to determine whether the lymphatic nuclei are benign.
In the past few months, myradiologistcolleagues and I have encountered several similar cases. Some were discovered during a computer scan of the lungs, one was seen duringa PET scan of the lungs at HKAI.Others were discovered during mammography or ultrasound. A closer look at the medical records revealed that the patient had been vaccinated in the same arm.
There are also related records in online medical journals in the past few months. The Breast Specialty Organization has recommended that patients who have recovered from breast cancer should not receive the vaccine in the same arm as the cancer to avoid possible lymph node swelling that may raise suspicion of cancer recurrence.
If available, breast imaging or ultrasound should be done before the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine or four to six weeks after the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
However, if the condition is urgent, relevant examinations should be carried out as soon as possible as recommended by the doctor. Just inform the medical staff of the COVID-19 vaccination location during the inspection.
Recently, a friend of mine developed a painful lymph node in his lower neck after receiving the vaccine. After an ultrasound examination, it was found that there were no suspicious signs. It was recommended to observe or perform an ultrasound re-examination in four to six weeks.
▲ Radiology Specialist Dr. Shum Sing Fai, John
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