Neuropathic Corneal Pain as Debilitating Manifestation of LONG-COVID

ABSTRACT

This report illustrates the case of a female patient suffering from severe ocular discomfort, tinnitus and ageusia, 7 months after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. The medical history implicated a diagnosis of LONG-COVID with ocular pain as the most debilitating symptom. In-vivo confocal microscopy revealed corneal microneuromas with hyperreflectivity and irregular enlargement of nerve endings in both eyes, which led to the diagnosis of neuropathic corneal pain. The aim of this report is to increase awareness that COVID-19 induced neuropathic pain can also occur in the cornea representing the human body’s most richly innervated tissue.

KEYWORDS:

• Confocal microscopy
• LONG-COVID
• microneuroma
• neuropathic corneal pain
• SARS-CoV-2

Disclosure statement

We know of no conflicts of interest associated with this publication, and there has been no financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no direct funding for this research.