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Neuroretinal Alterations in Persistent COVID-19: A Two-Year OCT Follow-Up
Naiara Artiaga1,2,3, Elisa Vilades1,2, Beatriz Cordón1,2
1Department of Ophthalmology, Miguel Servet University Hospital, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
Journal of Clinical Medicine
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Persistent COVID-19 patients showed greater inner plexiform layer thinning in the central macula over two years compared to controls. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) revealed subtle neuroretinal changes in long COVID.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neuroscience
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Persistent COVID-19 (PC) may cause long-term health issues, including potential neuroretinal changes.
- Understanding these changes is crucial for managing long COVID complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate long-term neuroretinal alterations in PC patients compared to asymptomatic controls.
- To utilize optical coherence tomography (OCT) for structural retinal analysis over a two-year period.
Main Methods:
- Prospective longitudinal study with 133 participants (94 PC patients, 39 controls).
- Comprehensive ophthalmological assessments and spectral-domain OCT imaging at baseline, 1 year, and 2 years.
- Analysis of Bruch's Membrane Opening-Minimum Rim Width and Posterior Pole protocols, with Bonferroni correction.
Main Results:
- PC patients exhibited a significantly greater decrease in the central macular sector (C0) of the inner plexiform layer (IPL) compared to controls.
- This finding suggests potential subtle inner retinal involvement in persistent COVID-19.
Conclusions:
- Subtle inner retinal changes, particularly in the central IPL, may occur in PC patients.
- OCT shows potential as a research tool for subtle neuroretinal changes in PC, but clinical utility and biomarker validation require further investigation.