A woman’s breast swelled dramatically after she received her Covid vaccine, marking a unique instance as reported by researchers.
The 19-year-old from Canada experienced a transformation from a B cup to a triple G cup within half a year following her two-dose regimen.
After receiving her initial Pfizer Covid vaccine shot in September 2022, she began to notice tingling sensations and slight enlargement in her breasts.
These symptoms intensified after the administration of her second dose about three weeks later.
It was only after six months, when her breasts had ballooned to an astonishing size, that she sought medical advice.
Doctors suggested that her Covid vaccine might have triggered pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH), a condition characterized by an overgrowth of cells typically resulting in benign breast lumps, observed in only around 200 patients historically.
This is the inaugural case connecting PASH to a vaccine, although experts caution that definitive proof of causation is lacking.
The precise mechanism by which the vaccine could have incited this growth remains uncertain, although some case studies indicated that Covid vaccines might provoke an immune response that leads to temporarily swollen lymph nodes, which can create the illusion of larger breasts.
The specialists from the University of Toronto stated in a medical journal last month: “This instance is the first to illustrate a temporal correlation between PASH-related gigantomastia and a vaccine.”
Moreover, experts highlighted that adverse reactions to Covid vaccines are exceedingly rare, emphasizing that the advantages of vaccination far outweigh potential side effects.
The woman involved in the study had no pre-existing health issues. Although her breasts appeared swollen and sagging, no masses were present.
An ultrasound and CT scan revealed slightly enlarged lymph nodes near her armpits and densified blood vessels, which were attributed to the increased breast tissue.
PASH is a benign condition affecting the breast that has been documented in under 200 individuals worldwide since its initial description in 1986.
Typically, it induces non-cancerous lesions or lumps formed from myofibroblast cells.
Notably, there are only 20 recorded instances of PASH causing extreme breast enlargement, with none previously linked to vaccinations.
The mechanism by which the vaccine may have incited the woman’s breast growth remains uncertain.
In 2021, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania discovered that Covid vaccines could cause swollen lymph nodes, possibly leading to unusual findings on mammograms and breast ultrasounds.
However, they cautioned that this reaction “is a normal response to the Covid vaccine and should not raise concern.”
The experts in Toronto asserted that more research is necessary to explore the potential connection between gigantomastia and Covid vaccinations.
The woman underwent a breast reduction surgery 11 months post her initial Covid vaccination, reducing her size to a double D cup. Doctors excised 8lbs of tissue during the procedure.
Although she has not experienced any further growth, her breasts are now uneven.
She is contemplating additional surgeries to rectify this issue and restore her breasts to their prior size.