Abstract
Reports detailing the acute formation of aluminum granulomas, which can cause persistent, intensely pruritic nodules secondary to the administration of aluminum-containing vaccines, are infrequently described in medical literature. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the development of an aluminum granuloma causing a persistent, pruritic nodule at the injection site following the administration of the DTaP-IPV vaccine. We present the case of a 6-year-old girl who developed a severely pruritic subcutaneous nodule on her anterior right thigh at the injection site three weeks after the administration of the aluminum-containing DTaP-IPV (Kinrix) vaccine. The nodule was eventually excised 14 months after its initial appearance, after which her symptoms resolved. Histologic inspection demonstrated a dense, deep dermal and subcutaneous nodular mixed infiltrate of lymphocytes, histiocytes, and eosinophils, with germinal center formation. The bluish, amphophilic granular cytoplasm found in most of the histiocytes is a characteristic feature of “aluminum granulomas.” This adverse reaction should be considered in any patient presenting with similar findings in the weeks following a DTaP-IPV vaccination or other aluminum-containing vaccines. Furthermore, the self-limiting tendency of these nodules should not preclude affected patients from any future vaccinations, though vaccines without aluminum should be preferentially selected when possible.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | e17-e19 |
Journal | Pediatric dermatology |
Volume | 36 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2019 |
Keywords
- aluminum granuloma
- dermatopathology
- pediatric dermatology
- subcutaneous nodule
- vaccine site reactions
- vaccines
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Dermatology