Severe COVID-19 and Retina: Are There Any Retinal Manifestations?

Abstract

Purpose To investigate whether there are retinal lesions associated with severe COVID-19.

Methods We studied 232 symptomatic subjects aged 18 – 65 years who had severe COVID-19 and had received treatment. The evaluations included ophthalmological examinations, optical coherence tomography (OCT), imaging modalities with near infrared reflectance (NIR), fundus autofluorescence (FAF), and fundus photography (FP).

Results The mean age of the patients was 49 years, and 67.6% of them were men. There were no findings of microhemorrhage, cotton wool spots (CWS), vitritis, or retinitis in the examination and imaging.

Conclusions This study indicates that retinal involvement as a complication associated with COVID-19 is questionable, although some reports have demonstrated a relationship that may occur secondary to existing systemic diseases.

Zusammenfassung

Zweck Untersuchung, ob mit schwerem COVID-19 Netzhautläsionen verbunden sind.

Methoden Wir untersuchten 232 symptomatische Probanden im Alter von 18 bis 65 Jahren, die schweres COVID-19 hatten und behandelt wurden. Die Bewertungen umfassten ophthalmologische Untersuchungen, optische Kohärenztomografie (OCT), Bildgebungsmodalitäten mit Reflexionsvermögen im nahen Infrarot (NIR), Fundusautofluoreszenz (FAF) und Fundusfotografie (FP).

Ergebnisse Das Durchschnittsalter der Patienten betrug 49 Jahre und 67,6% von ihnen waren Männer. Bei der Untersuchung und Bildgebung wurden keine Mikrohämorrhagien, Watteflecken (CWS), Vitritis oder Retinitis festgestellt.

Schlussfolgerungen Diese Studie hebt hervor, dass die Beteiligung der Netzhaut als Komplikation im Zusammenhang mit COVID-19 fraglich ist, obwohl einige Berichte einen Zusammenhang gezeigt haben, der sekundär zu bestehenden systemischen Erkrankungen auftreten kann.

Key words

COVID-19 - retinal findings - optical coherence tomography - fundus autofluorescence - near-infrared reflectance

Schlüsselwörter

COVID-19 - Netzhautbefund - optische Kohärenztomografie - Fundusautofluoreszenz - Nahinfrarotreflexion

Publication History

Received: 09 March 2021

Accepted: 05 June 2021

Article published online:
15 September 2021

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