Structural alterations of the choroid evaluated using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography in patients with coronavirus disease.

PURPOSE: To assess choroidal changes using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography in coronavirus disease (COVID-19). METHODS: Thirty-two patients with moderate COVID-19 and 34 healthy subjects were included in the study. Choroidal thickness was measured at 3 points as follows: at the subfovea, 1500 mm nasal to the fovea, and 1500 mm temporal to the fovea. The total choroidal area, luminal area, stromal area, and choroidal vascular index were measured with Image-J. All the measurements were performed during the disease and at 4 months after remission. RESULTS: In the patient group, the subfoveal, nasal, and temporal choroidal thicknesses were decreased as compared with those in the controls, but without statistically significant differences (p=0.534, p=0.437, and p=0.077, respectively). The mean total choroidal, stromal, and luminal areas and choroidal vascular index were statistically significantly decreased in the patient group (p<0.001, p=0.001, p=0.001, and p=0.003; respectively). At 4 months after remission, the choroidal structural parameters and choroidal vascular index revealed statistically significant increases as compared with the baseline measurements in the patients with COVID-19 (all p<0.001 and p=0.047, respectively). CONCLUSION: The choroidal vascular and stromal parameters showed significant transient decreases during the disease course of COVID-19.

Evaluation of Nasopharyngeal and Conjunctival Swab Samples of Hospitalised Patients with Confirmed COVID-19.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the results of conjunctival and nasopharyngeal swab tests in patients with confirmed COVID-19. METHODS: This prospective study included 45 patients who were hospitalized for confirmed COVID-19. Nasopharyngeal swab samples were obtained from the patients before hospitalization. Only one eye of each patient was randomly selected for-conjunctival sampling. All participants underwent a complete slit-lamp examination. Conjunctival and nasopharyngeal swab samples were analyzed by reversetranscriptase-polymerase-chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: Twenty seven (60%) of the patients were male and 18 (40%) were female. Conjunctival swab was positive in only one (2.22%) patient. None of the COVID-19 patients showed ocular changes and symptoms. There were no abnormalities of the ocular surface, anterior chamber or posterior segment at slit-lamp examination. CONCLUSIONS: The RT-PCR was not high positive in the conjunctiva as in nasopharyngeal swabs. Ocular changes were not common in COVID-19 patients.

Retinal Vessel Diameter Changes in COVID-19 Infected Patients.

Purpose: To evaluate the longitudinal changes in retinal vessel diameters in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Methods: This study included 25 patients with COVID-19 (Group 1) and 25 healthy subjects (Group 2). The diameters of peripapillary temporal and nasal retinal arteries and veins were measured at baseline and at 4 months after remission.Results: The baseline diameters of the inferior temporal vein and the artery were increased in group 1 compared to controls (p = .007 and p = .041, respectively). There was also an increase in the diameters of the inferior and superior nasal veins and arteries in group 1 at baseline (p = .001, p = .019, p = .037, and p = .008, respectively). Retinal vessel diameters decreased after remission in all quadrants in comparison to baseline measurements (all p < .05).Conclusion: Increased retinal vessel diameters were measured in COVID-19 patients during the disease. Measurement of retinal vessel diameters may be a noninvasive method of estimating the vascular risk.