Retinal findings in hospitalised patients with severe COVID-19.
Br J Ophthalmol
; 106(1): 102-105, 2022 01.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-873488
ABSTRACT
AIM:
To identify retinal findings using dilated eye examination, which are possibly related to SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalised patients with confirmed severe COVID-19.METHODS:
In this cross-sectional study, hospitalised patients with confirmed severe COVID-19 in a single referral centre for the treatment of COVID-19, in Santo André, São Paulo Metropolitan Area, Brazil, underwent dilated eye examination of both eyes performed by a retina specialist. Findings were recorded using a portable digital fundus camera. Retinographies were analysed by two retina specialists. Medical records were reviewed for assessment of patient demographics, baseline comorbidities and clinical data.RESULTS:
There were a total of 18 patients, nine (50%) male, median IQR age of 62.5 (12) years. Ten of the 18 patients (55.6%; 95% CI 33.7 to 75.4) had abnormalities on dilated eye examination. The main findings were flame-shaped haemorrhages (N=4; 22.2%; 95% CI 9.0 to 45.2) and ischaemic pattern lesions (cotton wool spots and retinal sectorial pallor) (N=4; 22.2%; 95% CI 9.0 to 45.2), with one patient having both cotton wool spots and flame-shaped haemorrhages.CONCLUSION:
These findings suggest that patients with severe COVID-19 have acute vascular lesions of the inner retina including flame-shaped haemorrhages and cotton wool spots. Further studies controlling for confounding factors are necessary to properly assess these findings so as to increase the understanding of COVID-19 pathophysiology and to identify new therapies.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Retina
/
Retinal Hemorrhage
/
Eye Infections, Viral
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
South America
/
Brazil
Language:
English
Journal:
Br J Ophthalmol
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Bjophthalmol-2020-317576
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