Choroidal Microvascular Alterations in COVID-19 Patients

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Infectious Diseases
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• COVID-19 can affect various organ systems, including the eyes.
• Choroidal angioarchitecture alterations may serve as indicators of systemic disease impact.
• Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) provides high-resolution imaging of the choroid.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in choroidal angioarchitecture in COVID-19 patients.
• To utilize OCT-derived surrogate markers, specifically choroidal thickness (CT) and choroidal vascularity index (CVI), for evaluation.
• To compare these markers between COVID-19 patients and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Prospective case-control study involving 56 COVID-19 patients and 61 healthy controls.
• Choroidal thickness (CT) and Choroidal vascularity index (CVI) were quantified from OCT images using automated segmentation software.
• Statistical analysis employed a linear mixed model, accounting for age and gender.

Main Results:

• COVID-19 patients exhibited significantly increased subfoveal, temporal, nasal, and average choroidal thickness (CT) compared to controls.
• A significant reduction in subfoveal and average choroidal vascularity index (CVI) was observed in COVID-19 patients.
• Statistical significance was noted for all reported differences (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• COVID-19 is associated with a thicker choroid and decreased relative vascularity.
• These findings suggest increased vascular permeability and choroidal stromal edema secondary to inflammation.
• OCT-based markers may offer valuable insights into the ocular manifestations of COVID-19.