Abstract
Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) was recognized around 2
years ago, at the beginning of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus 2) vaccination campaign, as a rare but life-threatening complication of
adenoviral vector vaccines. Two years later, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
pandemic has been tamed, although not defeated, and the vaccines provoking VITT have
been abandoned in most high-income countries, thus why should we still speak about
VITT? Because a significant fraction of the world population has not been vaccinated
yet, especially in low/middle-income countries that can only afford adenoviral vector-based
vaccines, because the adenoviral vector platform is being used for the development
of a large series of new vaccines for other transmissible diseases, and lastly because
there are some clues suggesting that VITT may not be exclusive to anti-SARS-CoV-2
vaccines. Therefore, a deep understanding of this new syndrome is highly warranted
as well as the awareness that we still miss some crucial insight into its pathophysiology
and on some aspects of its management. This snapshot review aims to portray our knowledge
on VITT, focusing on its clinical presentation, pathophysiological insight, diagnostic
and management strategies, and to pinpoint the main unmet needs, highlighting the
aspects on which research should focus in the near future.
Keywords
adenoviral vector-based vaccines - antiplatelet - COVID-19 - SARS-CoV-2 - thrombotic
thrombocytopenia
