Choroidal thickness changes in post-COVID-19 cases

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Virology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted global health.
• Ocular manifestations of COVID-19 are increasingly recognized.
• The effects of COVID-19 on the choroid require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on choroidal thickness.
• To compare choroidal thickness in post-COVID-19 patients versus healthy individuals.
• To utilize enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) for precise measurements.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 41 post-COVID-19 patients and 41 healthy controls.
• Choroidal thickness measured using EDI-OCT at multiple points around the fovea.
• Central macular thickness and ganglion cell layer thickness also assessed.
• Measurements were taken within one month of COVID-19 diagnosis.

Main Results:

• Significantly increased choroidal thickness observed in post-COVID-19 patients at specific subfoveal, temporal, and nasal locations.
• No significant differences in central macular thickness or ganglion cell layer thickness between groups.
• While other areas showed thicker choroids in the COVID-19 group, differences were not statistically significant.

Conclusions:

• COVID-19 infection is associated with increased choroidal thickness in recovered patients.
• This thickening may be linked to inflammatory processes involved in COVID-19 pathogenesis.
• Further research is warranted to understand the long-term ocular implications of COVID-19.