Teen’s breast grows four times larger after Covid vaccination in first-of-its-kind case

A woman’s breasts ballooned in size after getting her Covid vaccine in what researchers are calling a first-of-its-kind case. 

The 19-year-old from Canada went from a B cup to triple G cup within six months after receiving the two-shot course. 

She received her first dose of the Pfizer Covid vaccine in September 2022 and her breasts started tingling and growing slightly. 

Both of these effects then worsened after she received her second dose of the vaccine about three weeks later.  

She finally went to doctors at six months when her breasts grew to such an extreme size. 

Doctors treating the woman suggested her Covid vaccine may have triggered pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH), an overgrowth of cells that usually causes benign lumps in the breasts and has only ever been seen in around 200 patients. 

This is the first-ever case linking PASH to a vaccine, though the experts cautioned that it cannot be proven to be the culprit.  

It’s unclear exactly how the vaccine may have triggered the growth, but some case studies have suggested Covid vaccines may trigger an immune response leading to temporarily swollen lymph nodes, which makes breasts seem larger.  

The experts, from the University of Toronto, wrote in a medical journal last month: “This case is the first to demonstrate a temporal association between PASH-associated gigantomastia and a vaccine.” 

Experts have also noted that adverse reactions to Covid vaccines are extremely rare, and the benefits of getting the shot outweigh potential complications. 

The woman in the case study had no underlying conditions. While her breasts seemed swollen and saggy, there were no masses. 

An ultrasound and CT scan slightly swollen lymph nodes around the woman’s armpits and dense blood vessels, which they believe was from the enlarged breast tissue.  

PASH is a benign breast condition found in less than 200 people worldwide since it was first described in 1986.  

It normally causes non-cancerous lesions breast lumps made from cells called myofibroblasts. 

However, there are only 20 known cases of PASH causing extreme breast growth, and none have previously been associated with vaccines. 

It’s unclear how the vaccine may have triggered the woman’s breast growth.   

2021, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that Covid vaccines could lead to swollen lymph nodes, leading to abnormal findings on mammograms and breast ultrasounds.  

However, they cautioned that this “is a normal reaction to the Covid vaccine, and nothing to worry about.” 

The experts in Toronto said further research is needed on the potential link between gigantomastia and Covid vaccines.   

The woman underwent a breast reduction 11 months after her initial Covid vaccine, bringing her down to a double D cup. Doctors removed 8lbs of tissue during the surgery. 

After undergoing reduction 

Though she hasn’t experienced any further growth, her breasts are now asymmetrical.  

She is considering further surgeries to correct this and get her breasts back to their normal size.