Ocular Manifestations of Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 in Northeast of Iran
Mojtaba Abrishami, Fariba Tohidinezhad, Ramin Daneshvar, Arash Omidtabrizi, Mahnaz Amini, Alireza Sedaghat, Shahram Amini, Hamidreza Reihani, Abolghasem Allahyari, Mohsen Seddigh‐Shamsi, Mohammad Tayyebi, HamidReza Naderi, Amin Bojdy, Rozita Khodashahi, Saeid Eslami
Abstract
PURPOSE: To evaluate ocular findings in patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Northeast of Iran. METHODS: In a cross-sectional, observational study all consecutive patients with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis at the central referral center of these patients in northeast of Iran were included. Ocular examinations (external and slit) were randomly performed for the patients who were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and six COVID wards of the hospital. Moreover, Chart records and serum chemistry results were collected. RESULTS: = .023). Moreover, a significant difference was observed in the total white blood cell count, lymphocyte percent, neutrophil count, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), and blood urea level between patients with positive and negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for SARS-CoV-2 virus. None of the patients reported ocular symptoms prior to systemic involvement. The proportion of patients with at least one ocular manifestation was significantly higher in those admitted in the ICU compared to the non-ICU wards. wards. While conjunctival hyperemia was the most prevalent ocular finding in all patients, chemosis was the most common ocular manifestation in ICU admitted patients. CONCLUSION: Ocular manifestation was observed in more than half of our COVID-19 patients. Hence, it seems important to involve ophthalmologist in the diagnosis and management of these patients.