Radiation Recall Phenomenon Following Vaccination in a Patient With Prior Radiation to Lower Extremity Liposarcoma
Radiation recall phenomenon (RRP) is a rare inflammatory reaction in previously irradiated tissue triggered by agents such as chemotherapy or vaccines. A 67-year-old female patient who had undergone radiation to the right thigh for liposarcoma developed a blister at the same site during whole breast radiation for invasive lobular carcinoma. This occurred three days after receiving COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza vaccines. The reaction progressed to an ulcer over two months, while her active breast radiation site remained unaffected. This case highlights vaccination as a potential RRP trigger and the selective involvement of prior radiation fields. Awareness of RRP in vaccinated patients with a history of radiation is essential, warranting further research into its mechanisms.
Authors
- Asal Rahimi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2762-5049)
- Annie Chung (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3833-8174)
- Mona Arbab (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5770-4768)
- Narine Wandrey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1915-3010)
Institutions
- The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cureus
- Published
- 2025-05-27
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.84907
- Primary Topic
- Chemotherapy-related skin toxicity
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00