Bilateral Central Retinal Vein Occlusion and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome Associated with Coronavirus-19: A Case Report.

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To report a case of bilateral central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) associated with coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) infection. Methods: A 43-year-old man presented to the emergency department with flu-like symptoms, severe erythema, a rash on his face, and respiratory distress. He was admitted to the intensive care unit, and the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction test was positive for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 virus. The routine blood work was unremarkable. The dermatologist noted positive Nikolsky's sign, and the patient was diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), which affected 18% of his body and was later confirmed by skin biopsy. Later, he reported worsening vision. Results: Ophthalmic examination and fundus fluorescein angiography showed bilateral CRVO. Despite best medical efforts, including treatment with systemic dexamethasone and remdesivir, the patient died on the 6 days of his hospitalization. Conclusion: This was a rare bilateral CRVO and SJS case in a young patient, probably caused by the COVID-19 infection.