Sex: M
Vaccine: VARZOS
Symptoms: Blindness unilateral, Computerised tomogram, Eye inflammation, Eye injury, Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging brain normal
Clinical narrative: Information has been received on 11-FEB-2019 from a consumer regarding himself as an approximately 66 year old male. The patient had a medical history of stroke (05-OCT-2014) determined to be caused from extreme sleep apnea which had left him with severe double vision (resolved shortly after), handicapped confined to a wheelchair due to having lost his balance and with a stomach tube after he lost the ability to swallow or speak (on an unknown date the patient was able to walk with balance issues and eat and speak with difficulty.) In 2017, the patient's primary care physician ordered a ZOSTAVAX (lot number, expiration, dose and route unknown) to guard against shingles. The patient was vaccinated with ZOSTAVAX in early April 2017. Almost immediately, the patient noticed vision loss in his left eye that became worse to the point that he made an eye exam appointment at an eye center in October 2017. At the patient's October 2017 eye appointment, the patient was assessed with papilledema with inflammation in both eyes. The patient reported that "it was such an emergency" that the eye physician called the patient's primary care physician and ordered a computed  axial tomography (CAT) scan that he had that day (results not reported.) It was recommended that the patient see a neurologist. On an unknown date, the patient saw a neurologist who ordered an magnetic resonance imagining. (MRI). The neurologist determined the patient had normal brain function with no tumors. The patient had a total of 6 exams with 4 different physicians who all had no definitive answers as to what caused the patient's eye damage only that he would have the same problem in his right eye. No treatment was given. The patient was told that glasses would not improve his vision. The patient's primary care physician noticed a change in his stress level as he went through this ordeal and it was noted in the physician's exam notes (it was not reported if the patient had treatment for his stress level.) In December 2017, the patient saw a television advertisement for a law suit involving a ZOSTAVAX and eye damage. The patient reported that his neurologist calls his experience a "vaccination induced visual disturbance" that the patient has on record. The patient also reported that a physician said he could not confirm nor deny that a ZOSTAVAX caused this. The patient's primary care physician told him that as they eliminate any possible causes, "ZOSTAVAX becomes suspicious to its cause." The patient reported that his papilledema is gone (date not reported) but he continued with 20/20 vision in his right eye and his left eye is 20/60. The patient was concerned that if his right eye is damaged he would be unable to drive. The patient believes it was the ZOSTAVAX that damaged his eyes. The patient reported that medical records from his primary care physician stated that all of his medical conditions were under control at the time of his vaccination with a ZOSTAVAX and the diagnosis of papilledema. The patient reported that he suffered much stress due to the problems that a ZOSTAVAX caused him and that he does a lot of things requiring good eyesight that had been diminished because of this problem. My left eye is 20/60 which is permanent was considered to be disabling. Upon internal review, papilledema with inflammation in both eyes and vision loss to my left eye were determined to be medically significant. Additional information has been reported.