Pre- and post-COVID-19 changes in retinal disease patterns in Türkiye: insights from a tertiary hospital

To estimate the prevalence of common retinal diseases in Türkiye during 2017-2023 and to characterize age and gender-specific differences.

This retrospective, single-center, hospital-based study included 475,865 adults presenting to an ophthalmology outpatient clinic. The study period was divided into pre-pandemic (January 2017-March 2020), acute pandemic (March-June 2020), and post-pandemic (June 2020-July 2023) phases. Patient age, gender, diagnoses, and major complications were recorded. The primary outcomes were defined as changes in the prevalence of common retinal diseases and their complications before and after the pandemic.

Among 475,865 adults, 10,131 (2.13%) were diagnosed with a retinal disease. Age-related macular degeneration was the most prevalent disease, with prevalence increasing from 0.99% in the pre-pandemic period to 1.23% in the post-pandemic period (P < .001). Diabetic retinopathy was the second most common and remained stable across the pandemic periods (0.95% and 0.97%; P = .395). Diabetic macular edema (DME) exhibited a notable increase, particularly among patients aged ≥ 50 years (from 16.68 to 26.72%; P < .001). Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) ranked third, with prevalence rising from 0.17% before the pandemic to 0.25% after (P < .001). The proportion of patients with DME secondary to RVO requiring injection increased from 38.2% in the pre-pandemic period to 43.8% in the post-pandemic period.

This large-scale longitudinal study demonstrated significant changes in the epidemiology of several retinal diseases across the pre- and post-pandemic periods in Türkiye. However, the mechanisms underlying these changes remain uncertain and need to be clarified through future multicenter population-based studies.