Impending Central Retinal Vein Occlusion in a Patient with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2020 Nov 16;28(8):1290-1292. doi: 10.1080/09273948.2020.1807023. Epub 2020 Sep 25.

Abstract

Purpose: To report a case of impending central retinal vein occlusion (iCRVO) in a COVID-19 patient.

Case report: A 54 years old woman with COVID-19 related pneumonia presented to our emergency department complaining of scotomas and decreased vision in her right eye. Funduscopic examination and multimodal imaging revealed rare retinal hemorrhages, retinal whitening, and fern-like hypo-autofluorescent appearance typical of iCRVO. She had no risk factors other than a transient hyper-coagulability status likely related to the ongoing infection. Systemic treatment with steroids normalized her inflammatory and coagulation status and the occlusion completely resolved.

Conclusions: Retinal circulation should be considered as a potential site for thromboembolic complications from COVID-19.

Keywords: Covid-19; Retina; SARS-CoV-2; thrombosis; vein occlusion.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Betacoronavirus*
  • COVID-19
  • Coronavirus Infections / complications*
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Fluorescein Angiography / methods*
  • Fundus Oculi
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / complications*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology
  • Retina / pathology*
  • Retinal Vein Occlusion / diagnosis
  • Retinal Vein Occlusion / etiology*
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence / methods*