Abstract
As the pandemic has evolved and the knowledge of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has expanded, we have seen several ocular manifestations of this deadly virus. Besides the direct involvement of the ocular tissues by the virus, ocular manifestations have been seen due to opportunistic infections and body’s exaggerated autoimmune response.
Conjunctivitis is the most commonly reported ocular manifestation of this virus. This, along with the fact that ACE-2 receptors are present on the ocular surface, strengthens the hypothesis that the eye may act as a portal of entry for the virus. Intraocular features range from uveitis to vision-threatening retinal abnormalities like a central retinal vein or artery occlusion. The most severe form of eye involvement is rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis with high mortality rates despite the treatment. Central nervous system involvement in COVID-19 may present with several neuro-ophthalmic features like optic neuritis, cranial neuropathy, disc edema, eye movement disorder, and pupillary abnormalities. The occurrence of stroke is also higher with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) than with any other virus leading to visual symptoms due to involvement along the posterior visual pathway. Based on the current evidence, this chapter outlines the important ocular manifestations related to COVID-19 infection.
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Saxena, R., Dhiman, R. (2022). Eye Complications Following COVID-19. In: Mohan, A., Mittal, S. (eds) Post COVID-19 Complications and Management. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4407-9_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4407-9_13
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