Hemicentral retinal vein occlusion in a patient with a history of coronavirus disease 2019 infection: a case report and review of the literature

J Med Case Rep. 2024 Feb 11;18(1):50. doi: 10.1186/s13256-023-04333-x.

Abstract

Background: Considering the various manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 and its imperative importance in terms of the right clinical approach and early management, we sought to present a hemicentral retinal vein occlusion case, with a history of heterozygosity of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genes and potential for clotting complications as a late manifestation of coronavirus disease 2019, and provide a brief review of reported retinal vein occlusion cases in patients with coronavirus disease 2019.

Case presentation: A 35-year-old Iranian patient presented with a visual impairment in the left eye 4 months after recovering from coronavirus disease 2019. He reported a mild blurring of vision in the same eye a few days after admission due to coronavirus disease 2019. The ophthalmic evaluation was compatible with hemicentral retinal vein occlusion. Systemic and laboratory workups were negative except for borderline protein C activity, homocysteine levels, and heterozygosity of MTHFR genes. The patient was scheduled to receive three monthly intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor injections.

Conclusion: We present a case of inferior hemicentral retinal vein occlusion case with an MTHFR mutation with sequential loss of vision 4 months after coronavirus disease 2019 to make clinicians aware of the possibility of late ocular coronavirus disease 2019 manifestations.

Keywords: COVID-19; Hemicentral retinal vein occlusion; Late manifestation; MTHFR; Mutation.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • COVID-19* / complications
  • Eye
  • Humans
  • Iran
  • Male
  • Mutation
  • Retinal Vein Occlusion* / complications
  • Retinal Vein Occlusion* / etiology