Background <p>As COVID-19 was found to affect small vessels of multiple organ systems, the purpose of the study is to describe the macular vessel density (VD) and the area of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in patients who recovered from a COVID-19 disease, who were or were not treated in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and who suffer from fatigue due to long COVID.</p> Methods <p>Prospective case-control study in which laboratory-confirmed and recovered COVID-19 patients were included. Macular OCTA was performed at least seven weeks after initial COVID-19. The VD of the superficial retinal capillary plexus (SCP) and the area of the FAZ were measured. Results were compared among ICU- and non-ICU COVID-19 patients and a healthy control group; moreover, patients were divided into groups of no fatigue, fatigue, and extreme fatigue and results were compared among these and a control group.</p> Results <p>FAZ of non-ICU patients was significantly enlarged compared to control group. VD was not significantly different among these cohorts. FAZ of fatigue group was significantly enlarged compared to no fatigue group and control group. VD of extreme fatigue group was significantly greater than VD of both no fatigue group and control group.</p> Conclusion <p>The retinal microvasculature of recovered COVID-19 patients showed alterations in the sense of a significantly enlarged FAZ, particularly in patients with mild disease and fatigue. These microvascular manifestations may lead to future complications or visual impairment. Performing macular OCTA could be a possible monitoring tool for microvascular changes in these patients and a predictor for long COVID fatigue.</p>

错误:搜索内容不能为空,请输入英文关键词
错误:关键词超出字数限制,请精简
高级检索

Association of foveal avascular zone (FAZ) enlargement with SARS-CoV-2 infection and long COVID-19

  • J. Spielmann,
  • I. Pink,
  • C. Framme,
  • J. Tode,
  • I. Volkmann

摘要

Background

As COVID-19 was found to affect small vessels of multiple organ systems, the purpose of the study is to describe the macular vessel density (VD) and the area of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in patients who recovered from a COVID-19 disease, who were or were not treated in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and who suffer from fatigue due to long COVID.

Methods

Prospective case-control study in which laboratory-confirmed and recovered COVID-19 patients were included. Macular OCTA was performed at least seven weeks after initial COVID-19. The VD of the superficial retinal capillary plexus (SCP) and the area of the FAZ were measured. Results were compared among ICU- and non-ICU COVID-19 patients and a healthy control group; moreover, patients were divided into groups of no fatigue, fatigue, and extreme fatigue and results were compared among these and a control group.

Results

FAZ of non-ICU patients was significantly enlarged compared to control group. VD was not significantly different among these cohorts. FAZ of fatigue group was significantly enlarged compared to no fatigue group and control group. VD of extreme fatigue group was significantly greater than VD of both no fatigue group and control group.

Conclusion

The retinal microvasculature of recovered COVID-19 patients showed alterations in the sense of a significantly enlarged FAZ, particularly in patients with mild disease and fatigue. These microvascular manifestations may lead to future complications or visual impairment. Performing macular OCTA could be a possible monitoring tool for microvascular changes in these patients and a predictor for long COVID fatigue.