Early-term Optical Coherence Tomography Angiographic Findings in Pediatric Patients Infected with COVID-19

ABSTRACT

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate possible vascular changes in pediatric patients infected with COVID-19 and to compare these with an age-matched control group.

Methods

All patients underwent an ocular assessment and optical coherence tomography angiography examination. Two vascular networks were analyzed as the superficial and deep regions.

Results

Evaluation was made of 40 eyes of 20 patients who had recently recovered from COVID infection and 80 eyes of 40 healthy individuals. The DCP-VD values of the COVID group were significantly lower than the control group in most quadrants. The FAZ PERIM and FAZ area values in the COVID patients were higher than the control group, but not statistically significant (p>.05).

Conclusion

Pediatric cases of COVID-19 may differ from adults based on structural and immune response differences, and that OCTA can be a noninvasive guide for analysis of the end-organ effects of pediatric COVID disease.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• retinal vascular density
• FAZ area
• pediatric OCTA
• retinal microvascular changes
• superficial capillary plexus
• deep capillary plexus

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.