COVID-19’s effects on microvascular structure in a healthy retina: an OCTA study
AIM: To examine the subclinical alterations in the retina and choroid between patients with 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related lung involvement and the healthy control group. METHODS: In this prospective case-control study, 85 cases with lung involvement due to COVID-19 and 50 healthy cases...
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Press of International Journal of Ophthalmology (IJO PRESS)
2025-02-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Ophthalmology |
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| Online Access: | http://ies.ijo.cn/en_publish/2025/2/20250212.pdf |
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| author | Kazim Kiratli Hazan Gul Kahraman Yusuf Ziya Guven Fahrettin Akay Murat Aysin |
| author_facet | Kazim Kiratli Hazan Gul Kahraman Yusuf Ziya Guven Fahrettin Akay Murat Aysin |
| author_sort | Kazim Kiratli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | AIM: To examine the subclinical alterations in the retina and choroid between patients with 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related lung involvement and the healthy control group. METHODS: In this prospective case-control study, 85 cases with lung involvement due to COVID-19 and 50 healthy cases were included. Best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure measurement, and anterior and posterior segment examination were performed on both eyes for each individual. Choroidal and retinal changes were examined and recorded by optical coherence tomography angiography. RESULTS: All choroidal thickness measurements of the COVID-19 group showed no statistically significant difference when compared to healthy individuals. When vascular density and perfusion density values were compared, there was a decrease in the average of these values in the COVID-19 group, although it was not statistically significant (P=0.088, P=0.065 respectively). When the fovea avascular zone (FAZ) area values were compared, the average was 0.57±0.38 in the COVID-19 group, while it was 0.54±0.24 in the control group. CONCLUSION: Although our data are not statistically significant, the decrease in vascularity and perfusion and the accompanying FAZ expansion are detected in the acute period (1st month). These changes may anatomically alter the retina in the long term and affect functional vision. Future ischemia-related alterations in the retina caused by a prior COVID-19 infection may arise in situations without comorbidities and may require concern in the patient's systemic assessment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-40acd5c38ef041838f07873a8c5136c5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2222-3959 2227-4898 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Press of International Journal of Ophthalmology (IJO PRESS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Ophthalmology |
| spelling | doaj-art-40acd5c38ef041838f07873a8c5136c52025-01-16T07:54:35ZengPress of International Journal of Ophthalmology (IJO PRESS)International Journal of Ophthalmology2222-39592227-48982025-02-0118228328910.18240/ijo.2025.02.1220250212COVID-19’s effects on microvascular structure in a healthy retina: an OCTA studyKazim Kiratli0Hazan Gul Kahraman1Yusuf Ziya Guven2Fahrettin Akay3Murat Aysin4Kazim Kiratli. Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Katip Celebi University Ataturk Educating and Research Hospital, Izmir 35360, Türkiye. drkazimkiratli@gmail.comDepartment of Ophthalmology, Democracy University Buca Seyfi Demirsoy Educating and Research Hospital, Izmir 35390, TürkiyeDepartment of Ophthalmology, Katip Çelebi University Atatürk Educating and Research Hospital, Izmir 35360, TürkeyDepartment of Ophthalmology, Health Sciences University Gülhane Educating and Research Hospital, Ankara 06010, TürkiyeDepartment of Public Health, Balikesir University Faculty of Medicine, Balikesir 10230, TürkiyeAIM: To examine the subclinical alterations in the retina and choroid between patients with 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related lung involvement and the healthy control group. METHODS: In this prospective case-control study, 85 cases with lung involvement due to COVID-19 and 50 healthy cases were included. Best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure measurement, and anterior and posterior segment examination were performed on both eyes for each individual. Choroidal and retinal changes were examined and recorded by optical coherence tomography angiography. RESULTS: All choroidal thickness measurements of the COVID-19 group showed no statistically significant difference when compared to healthy individuals. When vascular density and perfusion density values were compared, there was a decrease in the average of these values in the COVID-19 group, although it was not statistically significant (P=0.088, P=0.065 respectively). When the fovea avascular zone (FAZ) area values were compared, the average was 0.57±0.38 in the COVID-19 group, while it was 0.54±0.24 in the control group. CONCLUSION: Although our data are not statistically significant, the decrease in vascularity and perfusion and the accompanying FAZ expansion are detected in the acute period (1st month). These changes may anatomically alter the retina in the long term and affect functional vision. Future ischemia-related alterations in the retina caused by a prior COVID-19 infection may arise in situations without comorbidities and may require concern in the patient's systemic assessment.http://ies.ijo.cn/en_publish/2025/2/20250212.pdfcovid-19pneumoniaperfusion densityvascular densityoptical coherence tomography angiography |
| spellingShingle | Kazim Kiratli Hazan Gul Kahraman Yusuf Ziya Guven Fahrettin Akay Murat Aysin COVID-19’s effects on microvascular structure in a healthy retina: an OCTA study International Journal of Ophthalmology covid-19 pneumonia perfusion density vascular density optical coherence tomography angiography |
| title | COVID-19’s effects on microvascular structure in a healthy retina: an OCTA study |
| title_full | COVID-19’s effects on microvascular structure in a healthy retina: an OCTA study |
| title_fullStr | COVID-19’s effects on microvascular structure in a healthy retina: an OCTA study |
| title_full_unstemmed | COVID-19’s effects on microvascular structure in a healthy retina: an OCTA study |
| title_short | COVID-19’s effects on microvascular structure in a healthy retina: an OCTA study |
| title_sort | covid 19 s effects on microvascular structure in a healthy retina an octa study |
| topic | covid-19 pneumonia perfusion density vascular density optical coherence tomography angiography |
| url | http://ies.ijo.cn/en_publish/2025/2/20250212.pdf |
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