Clinical features of acute macular neuroretinopathy associated with COVID-19 / 中华眼底病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To evaluate the clinical features of acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMN) associated with COVID-19.Methods:A retrospective case series studies. A total of 12 eyes of 8 patients diagnosed of AMN associated with COVID-19 at Peking University People’s Hospital from December 5, 2022 to January 5, 2023 were included. Of the 8 patients, 2 were male (4 eyes) and 6 were female (8 eyes), with an average age of (29.38±8.60) years. All patients underwent best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), and infra-red fundus photography (IR). After definite diagnosis, the patients were given symptomatic treatment such as local vasodilation, anti-inflammatory and systemic circulation improvement and nutritional nerve. Follow-up time was 21-30 days weeks. Clinical manifestations, OCT and IR image characteristics, and treatment outcomes were retrospectively analyzed.Results:The time from diagnosis of COVID-19 to the onset of ocular symptoms was (3.00±0.93) days. Among 12 eyes, 6 had complaints of paracentral scotoma, with 2 of them accompanied by visual acuity loss; and 6 had complaints of dark shadows in the vision, with 2 of them accompanied by visual acuity loss. At the initial examination, 2 eyes had a BCVA of less than 0.05, 2 eyes had a BCVA between 0.4 and 0.6, and 8 eyes had a BCVA between 0.8 and 1.0. At the last follow-up, visual symptoms improved in 7 eyes and remained unchanged in 5 eyes. Fundus color photography showed reddish-brown lesions in the macular area. Spectral-domain OCT revealed localized thickening and strong reflection of the outer plexiform layer (OPL) in the macular area, patchy strong reflections in the outer nuclear layer (ONL), and varying degrees of local discontinuity in the adjacent external limiting membrane, ellipsoid zone/interdigitation zone (EZ/IZ), with reduced local reflection in the adjacent retinal pigment epithelium layer in 2 eyes. The strong reflection area of the ONL on corresponding structural OCT was observed more clearly as a lesion range with strong reflection on en-face OCT. The incomplete structure of the EZ/IZ band was observed more clearly as a lesion range with weak reflection on en-face OCT. IR showed several clear-bordered and weakly reflecting lesions at the center of the macula, with the tip pointing to the fovea.Conclusions:AMN associated with COVID-19 tends to occur in young females. The OCT findings of AMN are characterized by strong reflections in the OPL and ONL, and lesion ranges can be observed more clearly at different levels using en-face OCT. The lesions on IR appear as weak reflections.