Neuro-ophthalmic manifestations of coronavirus disease 19.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To provide a summary of the neuro-ophthalmic manifestations of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), documented in the literature thus far. RECENT FINDINGS: A small but growing literature documents cases of new onset neuro-ophthalmic disease, in the setting of COVID-19 infection. Patients with COVID-19 have experienced acute onset vision loss, optic neuritis, cranial neuropathies, and Miller Fisher syndrome. In addition, COVID-19 increases the risk of cerebrovascular diseases that can impact the visual system. SUMMARY: The literature on COVID-19 continues to evolve. Although COVID-19 primarily impacts the respiratory system, there are several reports of new onset neuro-ophthalmic conditions in COVID-infected patients. When patients present with new onset neuro-ophthalmic issues, COVID-19 should be kept on the differential. Testing for COVID-19 should be considered, especially when fever or respiratory symptoms are also present. When screening general patients for COVID-19-associated symptoms, frontline physicians can consider including questions about diplopia, eye pain, pain with extraocular movements, decreased vision, gait issues, and other neurologic symptoms. The presence of these symptoms may increase the overall probability of viral infection, especially when fever or respiratory symptoms are present. More research is needed to establish a causal relationship between COVID-19 and neuro-ophthalmic disease, and better understand pathogenesis.

Hyperacute optic neuritis in a patient with COVID-19 infection and vaccination: a case report.

BACKGROUND: As scientific knowledge continues to grow regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, several neuro-ophthalmological manifestations have emerged, including rare reports of optic neuritis. Optic neuritis is an inflammatory demyelinating condition of the optic nerve that typically presents as subacute, unilateral vision loss and pain on eye movement. Several cases of COVID-19 infection and COVID-19 vaccination related cases of optic neuritis have been reported. We present a case of hyperacute, unilateral optic neuritis after both recent COVID-19 infection and subsequent booster vaccination. CASE PRESENTATION: Within two hours after receiving her COVID-19 booster vaccination, a 58-year-old female began experiencing bilateral eye pain, worsened by eye movements. The patient had previously contracted a mild COVID-19 infection three weeks prior to receiving her booster vaccination, confirmed by a rapid antigen test. The pain persisted in her right eye for a week at which time she presented to an ophthalmology clinic. She denied any changes to her visual acuity. Neuroimaging revealed right optic nerve enhancement, and the patient was admitted to the hospital for a course of intravenous steroids, which quickly resolved her eye pain. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of COVID-19 related optic neuritis following both COVID-19 infection and vaccination. High clinical suspicion is needed to make the appropriate diagnosis, as cases of COVID-19 related optic neuritis may exhibit mild presentations, as was the case with our patient.

Coronavirus Disease 2019, Eye Pain, Headache, and Beyond.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), emerged in December 2019 and became a devastating pandemic. Although its respiratory effects can be deadly and debilitating, it can lead to other systemic disorders, such as those causing eye pain and headache. This literature review aims to describe presentations of eye pain and headache in relation to COVID-19, with an emphasis on how these disorders help us to understand the pathophysiology of COVID-19. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Literature was mined from the PubMed database using the key terms: "eye pain," "conjunctivitis," "episcleritis," "optic neuritis," "migraine," and "headache" in conjunction with "COVID-19" and "SARS-CoV-2." With the exception of general background pathology, articles that predated 2006 were excluded. Case reports, literature reviews, and meta-analyses were all included. Where SARS-CoV-2 research was deficient, pathology of other known viruses was considered. Reports of ocular manifestations of vision loss in the absence of eye pain were excluded. The primary search was conducted in June 2021. RESULTS: The literature search led to a focused review of COVID-19 associated with conjunctivitis, episcleritis, scleritis, optic neuritis, and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-associated optic neuritis. Four distinct COVID-19-related headache phenotypes were identified and discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Eye pain in the setting of COVID-19 presents as conjunctivitis, episcleritis, scleritis, or optic neuritis. These presentations add to a more complete picture of SARS-CoV-2 viral transmission and mechanism of host infection. Furthermore, eye pain during COVID-19 may provide evidence of hypersensitivity-type reactions, neurovirulence, and incitement of either novel or subclinical autoimmune processes. In addition, investigation of headaches associated with COVID-19 demonstrated 4 distinct phenotypes that follow third edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders categories: headaches associated with personal protective equipment, migraine, tension-type headaches, and COVID-19-specific headache. Early identification of headache class could assist in predicting the clinical course of disease. Finally, investigation into the COVID-19-associated headache phenotype of those with a history of migraine may have broader implications, adding to a more general understanding of migraine pathology.

Efficacy of the use of mefenamic acid combined with standard medical care vs. standard medical care alone for the treatment of COVID­19: A randomized double­blind placebo­controlled trial.

Mefenamic acid is a non­steroidal anti­inflammatory drug exhibiting a wide range of anti­inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic and probable antiviral activities. The present study evaluated the efficacy of treatment with mefenamic acid combined with standard medical care vs. standard medical care plus a placebo in ambulatory patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID­19; nasal/oropharyngeal swabs reverse transcription­PCR test results positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2). The present study is a phase II prospective, two­arm, parallel­group, randomized, double­blind placebo­controlled clinical trial which analyzed 36 patients. Two aspects were evaluated during the 14­day follow­up period: i) The time for reaching a patient acceptable symptom state (PASS), and ii) the last day of each COVID­19 symptom presentation. Adverse effects were evaluated. The clinical severity for all the patients in the study was mild (88.9%) and moderate (11.1%). The control (placebo) group achieved PASS on day 8.0±1.3, compared with day 4.4±0.8 in the mefenamic acid group (P=0.020, Kaplan­Meier analyses using log­rank tests). Patients that received mefenamic acid plus standard medical care had a ~16­fold higher probability of achieving PASS on day 8 (adjusted RR, 15.57; 95% CI, 1.22­198.71; P=0.035), compared with the placebo plus standard medical care group. All symptoms lasted for fewer days in the mefenamic acid group, compared with the placebo group; however, only the symptoms of headache (P=0.008), retro­orbital eye pain (P=0.049), and sore throat (P=0.029) exhibited statistically significant differences. The experimental treatment produced no severe adverse effects. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that the administration of mefenamic acid markedly reduced the symptomatology and time to reach PASS in ambulatory patients with COVID­19. Due to its probable antiviral effects and potent anti­inflammatory mechanisms, mefenamic acid may prove to be useful in the treatment of COVID­19, in combination with other drugs, including the new antivirals (remdesivir, molnupiravir, or favipiravir). However, future studies are also required to confirm these findings.

Improper Use of the Germicidal Range Ultraviolet Lamp for Household Disinfection Leading to Phototoxicity in COVID-19 Suspects.

PURPOSE: To report the germicidal range ultraviolet (UV) irradiation-induced phototoxicity because of unprotected exposure to the UV lamps for presumed household disinfection of SARS-CoV-2 in a domestic setting. METHODS: We report on a family of 3 adults who experienced photophobia, intense eye pain, epiphora, blurred vision, and a burning sensation over the face and neck area after a short period of unprotected exposure to the UV germicidal lamps. RESULTS: An initial examination revealed erythema and tenderness over the face and neck area, reduced visual acuity of 6/12, and conjunctival injections bilaterally in all 3 patients. Further assessment at the ophthalmology department 3 days later revealed gradual improvement of visual acuity to 6/6 bilaterally. Slit-lamp examinations revealed few punctate epithelial erosions. Fundal examinations were normal without evidence of solar retinopathy. The patients were diagnosed with germicidal range UV irradiation-induced photokeratitis and epidermal phototoxicity. Lubricants and emollients were prescribed for symptom relief, and the patients were warned against using a UV germicidal lamp for disinfection purposes without appropriate protection. CONCLUSIONS: Although SARS-CoV-2 is structurally akin to SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV, and previous studies demonstrated high levels of inactivation of beta-coronavirus with germicidal-range UV, evidence for its efficacy to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 is lacking. This case report serves to emphasize the potential consequences of phototoxicity from the improper use of UV germicidal lamps for household disinfection and to highlight the fact that UV germicidal lamps currently have no established role in household disinfection of SARS-CoV-2.

Strong associations and moderate predictive value of early symptoms for SARS-CoV-2 test positivity among healthcare workers, the Netherlands, March 2020.

Healthcare workers (n = 803) with mild symptoms were tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (n = 90 positive) and asked to complete a symptom questionnaire. Anosmia, muscle ache, ocular pain, general malaise, headache, extreme tiredness and fever were associated with positivity. A predictive model based on these symptoms showed moderate discriminative value (sensitivity: 91.2%; specificity: 55.6%). While our models would not justify presumptive SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis without molecular confirmation, it can contribute to targeted screening strategies.