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Changes in the Incidence of Retinal Vascular Occlusions After COVID-19 Diagnosis

Bobeck S Modjtahedi1,2,3, Duy Do1, Tiffany Q Luong1

  • 1Department of Research and Evaluation, Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Pasadena.

JAMA Ophthalmology
|April 14, 2022
PubMed

Insights

COVID-19 infection was associated with a higher incidence of retinal vein occlusions (RVOs), though these events remain rare. Further research is needed to establish a definitive link between COVID-19 and retinal vascular events.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Vascular Biology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is known to cause systemic vascular damage.
  • The specific impact of COVID-19 on retinal vasculature and the risk of retinal vascular occlusions (RVOs) are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the incidence of retinal vascular occlusions following COVID-19 infection.
  • To determine if COVID-19 diagnosis is associated with an increased risk of retinal artery occlusions (RAOs) and retinal vein occlusions (RVOs).

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study was conducted using data from Kaiser Permanente Southern California.
  • Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between January 2020 and May 2021 without a prior history of RVOs or RAOs were included.
  • The incidence of new RAOs and RVOs in the six months post-COVID-19 diagnosis was compared to the six months prior, with adjustments for demographic and clinical factors.

Main Results:

  • The study included over 432,000 patients with COVID-19.
  • A statistically significant increase in the incidence of RVOs was observed in the six months after COVID-19 infection (adjusted IRR, 1.54; P=.03).
  • A smaller, non-significant increase in RAO incidence was noted post-COVID-19 (adjusted IRR, 1.35; P=.44). Peak incidence for RVOs and RAOs occurred 6-8 and 10-12 weeks post-diagnosis, respectively.

Conclusions:

  • The findings suggest an elevated incidence of RVOs following COVID-19 infection, although these events are infrequent.
  • A causal relationship cannot be definitively established due to the observational nature of the study.
  • Further large-scale epidemiological studies are recommended to clarify the association between COVID-19 and retinal thromboembolic events.
Abstract

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