[Changes in ocular hemodynamics in patients recovered from COVID-19]. / Oftal'mogemodinamicheskie narusheniya posle perenesennoi koronavirusnoi infektsii, vyzvannoi virusom SARS-CoV-2.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the severity of hemodynamic changes in the ocular vessels of patients recovered from COVID-19. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 44 patients (88 eyes) aged 28-60 years, among them 24 (54.5%) women and 20 (45.4%) men, with SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by PCR no more than 2 months prior to enrollment and with no ophthalmological complaints within 2 months before the disease, as well as 20 healthy volunteers (40 eyes). At the time of the study all patients had a negative PCR result for SARS-CoV-2. The patients were divided into 2 groups. The first group comprised 24 patients who did not take any anticoagulants during the treatment. The second group consisted of 20 patients who received anticoagulants (Rivaroxaban (Xarelto)) at a dosage of 10 mg per day for 1-1.5 months. The maximum systolic (Vs), end-diastolic (Vd) blood flow velocity, as well as resistance index (RI) in the ophthalmic artery (OA), central retinal artery (CRA) and short posterior ciliary arteries (SPCA) were measured in all study patients with the ultrasound imaging system VOLUSON E8 Expert («Kretz¼, USA). Additionally, the flowmetry method was used to assess the volumetric ocular blood flow (VOBF) on Ocular Blood Flow Analyzer system («Paradigm Medical Industries, Inc.¼, USA). RESULTS: In the first group, a decrease in Vs and Vd was noted amid a significant increase of RI in CRA and SPCA, as well as an increase of RI in OA compared with the age-normal values (p<0.05). In the second group, a decrease in Vs and Vd was noted amid a significant increase of RI in CRA, as well as a decrease in Vs in SPCA and an increase of RI in OA relative to the age-normal values (p<0.05). A decrease in VOBF was noted in the first group in comparison to the second group and the age norm (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Blood flow velocity parameters in the ocular vessels are reduced in patients recovered from COVID-19 compared to the age-normal values. There was a significant decrease in volumetric ocular blood flow parameters in COVID-19 patients who did not take any anticoagulants compared to the age-normal values. Anticoagulants intake has a positive impact on hemodynamic characteristics in the ocular vessels and volumetric ocular blood flow in patients with COVID-19.

[Ophthalmological manifestations of post-COVID-19 syndrome]. / Oftal'mologicheskie proyavleniya postkovidnogo sindroma.

The review presents data on damage to the organ of vision in patients recovered from the new coronavirus infection reflecting on the results obtained by various researchers from examining patients with varying severity of the disease, both during the active stage and after recovery. Possible ways of transmission of the infectious agent into the organ of vision were analyzed. The most common ocular manifestation of COVID-19 is conjunctivitis, while lesions of the retina and optic nerve were noted less often. The article also outlines the strategy for treatment and describes infection prevention measures for doctors and patients.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ophthalmic practice. Historical aspects and clinical examples

This article presents data on clinical ophthalmological manifestations of COVID-19 described in the literature, clinical examples that we met in pandemic conditions, COVID-19 including early and late manifestations, as well as references to studies conducted decades ago and aimed to evaluate the effects of coronavirus infection on the visual organ. The purpose of the most studies was to study the effect of COVID-19 on the visual organ indicate that the most common ophthalmological manifestation of this disease is conjunctivitis, which occurs in 3–10 % of cases. Our observations showed that patients with COVID-19, when applying for an appointment with an ophthalmologist after 1–3 months, make complaints about the feeling of dryness, discomfort in the eyes, itching and redness of the eyelids. These complains arose immediately after the illness and persisted during the above terms. This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that any inflammatory process occurring on the eye surface disrupts the process of lacrimation and leads to the emergence of dry eye syndrome. It is necessary to pay close attention to complaints from the visual organ not only in patients with COVID-19 in the early stages of the disease, but also in the coming months after stopping the acute pathological process. As studies have shown, coronavirus can involve the posterior segment of the eye in the pathological process, since this virus has a retinotropic effect. This hypothesis can be confirmed by the reports of several authors who studied with optical coherence tomography (OCT) the state of the retina 11–33 days after the onset of symptoms in patients with COVID-19. OCT data indicate the presence of hyperreflexive zones at the level of the ganglion cell layer and the plexiform layer, the severity of these zones being greater in the papillomacular bundle region. In addition, cases of thromboembolic complications affecting the vascular system of the eye are described. Considering the fact that in the development of thromboembolism of the central artery and retinal vein, therapy is as effective as possible in the first hours from the beginning of this pathological process development, close attention should be paid to patients’ complaints to visual impairment occurred against the background of coronavirus infection. The data presented in this article open up a range of possibilities for conducting new scientific research that will help to preserve the vision and health of our patients as effectively as possible. © 2021 Ima-Press Publishing House. All rights reserved.