Acute Bilateral Optic Neuritis as a Sequela of COVID-19 Infection: A Case Report

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). There have been cases of neurological manifestations of the disease reported in the literature as the global COVID-19 pandemic has progressed. We report the case of a rare neuro-ophthalmic condition following COVID-19 infection. A 36-year-old woman without significant past medical history was admitted for sudden vision changes who developed acute bilateral optic neuritis coinciding with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test. The patient experienced a viral prodrome 3 weeks previously before experiencing vision changes that lead her to seek medical attention. Her extensive laboratory workup revealed no abnormalities except for characteristic optic neuritis findings on MRI and new detection of MOG-antibodies. The patient was managed with high-dose IV steroids for 3 days and showed significant improvement with no symptoms out to one year follow-up. In conclusion, the temporal relationship between the prodrome and optic neuritis shows another way SARS-CoV-2 infection may cause unique extrapulmonary manifestations. This novel information could provide further scientific knowledge to understand the complex mechanism and multiple sequala of the SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as provide the best prevention and treatment.