Acute Bilateral Neuroretinitis and Panuveitis in A Patient with Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Case Report

Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2021 May 19;29(4):677-680. doi: 10.1080/09273948.2021.1894457. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Abstract

Purpose: Herein, we report a case of bilateral neuroretinitis and panuveitis in a patient recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Case presentation: A 37-year-old male patient with a history of recovered COVID-19, which was confirmed with nasopharyngeal reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), about one-month ago was referred with one-week history of bilateral severe vision loss. Visual acuity was counting fingers, and bilateral retinitis and panuveitis were revealed in ocular examination. The result of the vitreous sample using RT-PCR was positive for SARS-CoV-2 and negative for Herpesviridae viruses and mycobacterium tuberculosis. The patient was successfully treated with corticosteroid.Conclusion: We report a case of bilateral neuroretinitis and panuveitisin a recovered COVID-19 patient and positive RT-PCR of the vitreous sample. It is suggested to apply intraocular sampling and evaluation for COVID-19 in patients with the new-onset of uveitis and/or retinitis during the pandemic.

Keywords: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2; coronavirus disease 2019; neuroretinitis; panuveitis; reverse transcyptase- polymerase chain reaction.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • COVID-19 / complications*
  • COVID-19 / epidemiology
  • Eye Infections, Viral / diagnosis
  • Eye Infections, Viral / etiology*
  • Eye Infections, Viral / virology
  • Fluorescein Angiography / methods
  • Fundus Oculi
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Pandemics
  • Panuveitis / diagnosis
  • Panuveitis / etiology*
  • Panuveitis / virology
  • RNA, Viral / analysis*
  • Retina / pathology
  • Retinitis / diagnosis
  • Retinitis / etiology*
  • Retinitis / virology
  • SARS-CoV-2 / genetics*
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence / methods
  • Uvea / pathology
  • Visual Acuity*

Substances

  • RNA, Viral