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The Impact of COVID-19 Infection on Macular Capillary Perfusion
Mine Esen Baris1, Cumali Degirmenci1, Suzan Guven Yilmaz1, Filiz Afrashi1, Husnu Pullukcu2, Meltem Tasbakan21Department of Ophthalmology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Türkiye2Department of Infectious Diseases, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, İzmir, Türkiye
OBJECTIVES: Thromboembolic complications related to the COVID-19 infection are frequently reported. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a prior non-severe COVID-19 infection on retinal microcirculation with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).
METHODS: A total of 83 eyes of 43 patients with a history of non-severe COVID-19 infection confirmed with a positive PCR test (Group 1) and 30 healthy controls (Group 2) underwent detailed eye examination, including optic coherence tomography angiography (OCTA, RTVue-XR Avanti) scanning. Vessel densities (VD) in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexus (DCP), and foveal avascular zone were evaluated.
RESULTS: The mean duration between the COVID-19 positive PCR test and ocular examination was 144.6±82.2 days. VD of SCP and DCP in the foveal and perifoveal regions were significantly lower in Group 1 compared to Group 2 (p<0.05).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: A non-severe COVID-19 infection may cause a decrease in the VD of retinal SCP and DCP.
Manuscript Language: English
