Retinal involvement and ocular findings in COVID-19 pneumonia patients

Sci Rep. 2020 Oct 15;10(1):17419. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-74446-6.

Abstract

Changes in immune and coagulation systems and possible viral spread through the blood-brain barrier have been described in SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, we evaluated the possible retinal involvement and ocular findings in severe COVID-19 pneumonia patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 46 patients affected by severe COVID-19 who were hospitalized in one intensive care unit (ICU) and in two infectious disease wards, including bedside eye screening, corneal sensitivity assessment and retinography. A total of 43 SARS-CoV-2-positive pneumonia patients affected with COVID-19 pneumonia were included, including 25 males and 18 females, with a median age of 70 years [IQR 59-78]. Except for one patient with unilateral posterior chorioretinitis of opportunistic origin, of whom aqueous tap was negative for SARS-CoV-2, no further retinal manifestation related to COVID-19 infection was found in our cohort. We found 3 patients (7%) with bilateral conjunctivitis in whom PCR analysis on conjunctival swabs provided negative results for SARS-CoV-2. No alterations in corneal sensitivity were found. We demonstrated the absence of retinal involvement in SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia patients. Ophthalmologic evaluation in COVID-19, particularly in patients hospitalized in an ICU setting, may be useful to reveal systemic co-infections by opportunistic pathogens.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Betacoronavirus / isolation & purification
  • COVID-19
  • Conjunctivitis / complications
  • Conjunctivitis / pathology
  • Conjunctivitis / virology
  • Coronavirus Infections / complications
  • Coronavirus Infections / pathology*
  • Coronavirus Infections / virology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hypertensive Retinopathy / complications
  • Hypertensive Retinopathy / diagnosis
  • Intensive Care Units
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / complications
  • Pneumonia, Viral / pathology*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / virology
  • RNA, Viral / metabolism
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Retina / pathology*
  • Retina / virology
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Severity of Illness Index

Substances

  • RNA, Viral