Presumed Post-COVID Infection Retinitis - Clinical and Tomographic Features of Retinitis as a Post-COVID Syndrome

Abstract

Purpose: To study clinical and imaging features of presumed post-COVID infection retinitis.

Method: Retrospective case series of patients presenting with retinitis lesions with evidence of recent COVID infection. Retinal findings and optical coherence tomography (OCT) features were studied at baseline and follow-ups.

Results: Twenty-four eyes of 17 patients were included. Mean age was 36.57 ± 11.78 years. Baseline visual acuity (VA) was log MAR 0.97 ± 0.43. Fundus findings included retinitis patches (n = 24),hard exudates (n = 8), and superficial hemorrhages (n = 16). OCT features included neurosensory detachment (NSD, n = 20), hyperreflective inner layers (n = 24), acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMN, n = 8), hyperreflective foci (n = 20). At final follow-up, VA was logMAR 0.43 ± 0.27. Retinitis patches persisted in four eyes, AMN in three eyes, and NSD in five eyes. Conclusion- Post- COVID infection retinitis adds to existing literature on post COVID syndromes.

Keywords: AMN; COVID; epidemic retinitis; hyperreflective inner layers; p-MLM; retinitis; vasculitis.