Effect of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Eye Emergency Department, Increasing Prevalence of Uveitis and Optic Neuritis in the COVID-19 Era

Przybek-Skrzypecka, Joanna; Szewczuk, Alina; Kamińska, Anna; Skrzypecki, Janusz; Pyziak-Skupień, Aleksandra; Szaflik, Jacek P.

doi:10.3390/healthcare10081422

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Kate et al reported that males, young adults, and urban residents in India have more acute ocular burns, with chemical injury being the most common cause [12]. A study by Przybek-Skrzypecka et al revealed that COVID-19 lockdowns in Poland reduced eye emergency department visits by 50% but increased uveitis and optic neuritis cases, suggesting delayed diagnosis and treatment [13]. Ahmadi et al reported that males, children aged 6-10 years, and rural residents are more prone to pediatric ocular trauma in northern Iran.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Indian epidemiological overview of ocular emergencies of the year 2022

Mukhopadhyay,

Mukherjee,

Francis

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Aim and Objective: This study aimed to provide an epidemiological overview of ocular emergencies that occurred in India in the year 2022. The study analyzed the demographic, clinical, and etiological characteristics of patients who presented with ocular emergencies to various eye care facilities across the country. The study also evaluated the outcomes and complications of ocular emergencies and identified the risk factors and preventive measures for reducing their incidence and severity. Method In this retrospective study, we extracted data from the NPCBVI online portal Niramaya and calculated the frequency, percentage, and incidence rates of ocular emergencies according to various demographic and geographic variables. Results In India, more males (55.9%) than females (44.1%) were blind. The age group with the highest frequency of blindness was 15–49 years (40%), followed by 50–69 years (30%), ≥ 70 years (20%) and < 15 years (10%). Most of the blind people lived in rural areas (70%), while only 30% lived in urban areas. The states/UTs with the highest frequency of blindness were Uttar Pradesh (12.3%), Maharashtra (10.5%), Bihar (8.7%), West Bengal (7.4%) and Madhya Pradesh (6.8%). The remaining states/UTs accounted for 54.3% of the blind population. The most common causes of blindness were trauma (32.8%), infection/inflammation (34.5%) and glaucoma (24.7%). Other causes make up 8% of the total. Conclusion We concluded that ocular emergencies are a significant public health problem in India, and additional research is needed to understand their epidemiology and management.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Indian epidemiological overview of ocular emergencies of the year 2022

Mukhopadhyay,

Mukherjee,

Francis

et al. 2024

Preprint

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“…A comprehensive retrospective case-control study involving 2,351 patients revealed a notable increase in immune-mediated ocular conditions like uveitis and optic neuritis, potentially linked to COVID-19 ( 2 ). Concurrently, an observational cross-sectional study indicated that patients with neurological symptoms of COVID-19 exhibited a decrease in the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell complex, as well as a reduced vessel density ( 22 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a worldwide health emergency with far-reaching repercussions, surpassing the initial respiratory symptoms to include prolonged neurological complications, often termed ‘long COVID’ ( 1 ). Observational studies have potentially shown that COVID-19 can lead to disorders of optic nerve and visual pathways, including uveitis, optic neuritis, macular degeneration, and retinal vascular diseases ( 2 , 3 ). These conditions may manifest as a variety of symptoms, such as vision loss, visual field defects, reduced sensitivity to light and contrast, as well as alterations in color perception ( 4 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Causal effect of COVID-19 on optic nerve and visual pathway disorders: genetic evidence of lung-brain axis

Cao,

Li,

Cai

et al. 2024

Front. Immunol.

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PurposeTo investigate the potential causal association between COVID-19 exposure and optic nerve and visual pathway disorders through a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis, and to provide empirical support for the lung-brain axis.MethodsThis MR analysis utilized publicly accessible summary-level data from genome-wide association studies on COVID-19 (n=158,783) and optic nerve and visual pathway diseases (n=412,181), primarily involving individuals of European descent. The random-effect inverse-variance weighted estimation was applied as the main analytical approach, complemented by MR-Egger, weighted median, and weighted mode methods. The heterogeneity and pleiotropy of the instrumental variables were assessed using Cochran’s Q test, leave-one-out sensitivity analysis, MR-Egger intercept test, MR-PRESSO, and funnel plot evaluations.ResultsIn the forward analysis, the inverse-variance weighted method identified a significant causal effect of COVID-19 on optic nerve and visual pathway disorders (odds ratio = 1.697, 95% confidence interval: 1.086–2.652, p = 0.020). Directionally consistent results were also observed with MR-Egger regression, weighted median, and weighted mode approaches. Conversely, the reverse analysis revealed no causal effects of optic nerve and visual pathway disorders on COVID-19 susceptibility.ConclusionOur findings suggest that COVID-19 exposure may increase the risk of developing optic nerve and visual pathway disorders, supporting the lung-brain axis hypothesis. These results underscore the importance of vigilant monitoring of the visual system in patients recovering from COVID-19 and suggest potential avenues for future therapeutic strategies.

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“…Both unilateral and bilateral presentations of optic neuritis have been reported at higher frequencies since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic ( Przybek-Skrzypecka et al., 2022 ). Of the 25 cases included in this review, the average time to symptomatic onset following infection is 32.8 days (range 0 – 210 days).…”

Section: Methods Of Literature Searchmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of neuro-ophthalmic sequelae following COVID-19 infection and vaccination

Shi,

Danesh-Meyer

2024

Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.

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BackgroundIt has become increasingly clear that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can affect most organs in the human body, including the neurologic and ophthalmic systems. Vaccination campaigns have been developed at rapid pace around the world to protect the population from the fast-mutating virus. This review seeks to summarise current knowledge of the neuro-ophthalmic manifestations of both COVID-19 infection and vaccination.Evidence acquisitionElectronic searches for published literature were conducted using EMBASE and MEDLINE on the 30th of July 2023. The search strategy comprised of controlled vocabulary and free-text synonyms for the following terms in various combinations: “coronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, 2019-nCoV, vaccination, vaccine, immunisation and neuro-ophthalmology”. No time range limits were set for the literature search. Published English abstracts for articles written in a different language were screened if available.ResultsA total of 54 case reports and case series were selected for use in the final report. 34 articles documenting neuro-ophthalmic manifestations following COVID-19 infection and 20 articles with neuro-ophthalmic complications following COVID-19 vaccination were included, comprising of 79 patients in total. The most commonly occurring condition was optic neuritis, with 25 cases following COVID-19 infection and 27 cases following vaccination against COVID-19.ConclusionsThe various COVID-19 vaccines that are currently available are part of the global effort to protect the most vulnerable of the human population. The incidence of neuro-ophthalmic consequences following infection with COVID-19 is hundred-folds higher and associated with more harrowing systemic effects than vaccination against the virus.

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Effect of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Eye Emergency Department, Increasing Prevalence of Uveitis and Optic Neuritis in the COVID-19 Era

Cited by 7 publications

References 37 publications

An Indian epidemiological overview of ocular emergencies of the year 2022

An Indian epidemiological overview of ocular emergencies of the year 2022

Causal effect of COVID-19 on optic nerve and visual pathway disorders: genetic evidence of lung-brain axis

A review of neuro-ophthalmic sequelae following COVID-19 infection and vaccination

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