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TOPLINE:
Patients with COVID had a higher risk of developing diplopia and cranial nerve VI palsy than those with influenza. Compared with unvaccinated patients, recipients of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 had a more than 30% reduced risk of developing posterior-segment complications including retinal edema, vitreous hemorrhage, and optic neuritis.
METHODOLOGY:
- Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of US electronic health records from March 2020 to April 2021 to assess eye complications after COVID and the effect of mRNA vaccination on them.
- They analyzed matched cohorts of 73,654 vaccinated patients with COVID (mean age, 60.6 years; 61.6% women) and 73,654 unvaccinated patients with the condition (mean age, 61.2 years; 62.8% women); vaccination status was determined based on recorded receipt of an mRNA vaccine.
- In a separate matched analysis, 77,809 patients with COVID (mean age, 39.3 years; 58.8% women) were compared with a historic cohort of 77,809 patients with influenza (mean age, 39.7 years; 58.9% women).
- The incidence of ophthalmic conditions — retinal artery occlusion, retinal vein occlusion, retinal edema, vitreous hemorrhage, and neuro-ophthalmic manifestations — was assessed within 4 months of infection.
TAKEAWAY:
- Vaccinated patients with COVID had 32% lower odds of retinal edema (odds ratio [OR], 0.68; 99.5% CI, 0.54-0.85), 45% lower odds of vitreous hemorrhage (OR, 0.55; 99.5% CI, 0.44-0.68), and 40% lower odds of optic neuritis (OR, 0.60; 99.5% CI, 0.43-0.85) than unvaccinated patients with the disease.
- No significant differences were found in the incidence of retinal artery occlusion, retinal vein occlusion, or retinal hemorrhage between the vaccinated and unvaccinated cohorts.
- Patients with COVID had markedly higher odds of diplopia (OR, 1.89; 99.5% CI, 1.53-2.32) and cranial nerve VI palsy (OR, 3.19; 99.5% CI, 1.82-5.59) than those with influenza.
- The incidence of other neuro-ophthalmic manifestations and retinal complications was similar between patients with COVID and those with influenza.
IN PRACTICE:
“The complications we assessed were rare, though our results showed an increased incidence of retinal edema, vitreous hemorrhage, and optic neuritis in the nonvaccinated COVID-19 cohort,” the researchers reported.
“The increased incidence of retinal edema and vitreous hemorrhage in the nonvaccinated cohort suggests a potential for COVID-19 to affect posterior segment structures,” they added.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Alexander E. Azar, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland. It was published online in Eye.
LIMITATIONS:
This study could not determine if vaccination against COVID could prevent ophthalmic manifestations. Vaccination status may have been underreported since many participants received COVID vaccines at pharmacies or community centers not directly documented in the electronic health records. The study’s timeframe only reflected data from early strains of SARS-CoV-2 between March 2020 and April 2021, potentially limiting generalizability to newer variants or later vaccination phases.
DISCLOSURES:
This study received support from the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Cleveland, funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Advancing Translational Science, and other sources. Some authors reported serving as consultants, participating in speakers’ bureaus, receiving personal fees, and having other ties with multiple pharmaceutical companies.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
TOPLINE:
Patients with COVID had a higher risk of developing diplopia and cranial nerve VI palsy than those with influenza. Compared with unvaccinated patients, recipients of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 had a more than 30% reduced risk of developing posterior-segment complications including retinal edema, vitreous hemorrhage, and optic neuritis.
METHODOLOGY:
- Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of US electronic health records from March 2020 to April 2021 to assess eye complications after COVID and the effect of mRNA vaccination on them.
- They analyzed matched cohorts of 73,654 vaccinated patients with COVID (mean age, 60.6 years; 61.6% women) and 73,654 unvaccinated patients with the condition (mean age, 61.2 years; 62.8% women); vaccination status was determined based on recorded receipt of an mRNA vaccine.
- In a separate matched analysis, 77,809 patients with COVID (mean age, 39.3 years; 58.8% women) were compared with a historic cohort of 77,809 patients with influenza (mean age, 39.7 years; 58.9% women).
- The incidence of ophthalmic conditions — retinal artery occlusion, retinal vein occlusion, retinal edema, vitreous hemorrhage, and neuro-ophthalmic manifestations — was assessed within 4 months of infection.
TAKEAWAY:
- Vaccinated patients with COVID had 32% lower odds of retinal edema (odds ratio [OR], 0.68; 99.5% CI, 0.54-0.85), 45% lower odds of vitreous hemorrhage (OR, 0.55; 99.5% CI, 0.44-0.68), and 40% lower odds of optic neuritis (OR, 0.60; 99.5% CI, 0.43-0.85) than unvaccinated patients with the disease.
- No significant differences were found in the incidence of retinal artery occlusion, retinal vein occlusion, or retinal hemorrhage between the vaccinated and unvaccinated cohorts.
- Patients with COVID had markedly higher odds of diplopia (OR, 1.89; 99.5% CI, 1.53-2.32) and cranial nerve VI palsy (OR, 3.19; 99.5% CI, 1.82-5.59) than those with influenza.
- The incidence of other neuro-ophthalmic manifestations and retinal complications was similar between patients with COVID and those with influenza.
IN PRACTICE:
“The complications we assessed were rare, though our results showed an increased incidence of retinal edema, vitreous hemorrhage, and optic neuritis in the nonvaccinated COVID-19 cohort,” the researchers reported.
“The increased incidence of retinal edema and vitreous hemorrhage in the nonvaccinated cohort suggests a potential for COVID-19 to affect posterior segment structures,” they added.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Alexander E. Azar, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland. It was published online in Eye.
LIMITATIONS:
This study could not determine if vaccination against COVID could prevent ophthalmic manifestations. Vaccination status may have been underreported since many participants received COVID vaccines at pharmacies or community centers not directly documented in the electronic health records. The study’s timeframe only reflected data from early strains of SARS-CoV-2 between March 2020 and April 2021, potentially limiting generalizability to newer variants or later vaccination phases.
DISCLOSURES:
This study received support from the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Cleveland, funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Advancing Translational Science, and other sources. Some authors reported serving as consultants, participating in speakers’ bureaus, receiving personal fees, and having other ties with multiple pharmaceutical companies.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.
TOPLINE:
Patients with COVID had a higher risk of developing diplopia and cranial nerve VI palsy than those with influenza. Compared with unvaccinated patients, recipients of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 had a more than 30% reduced risk of developing posterior-segment complications including retinal edema, vitreous hemorrhage, and optic neuritis.
METHODOLOGY:
- Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of US electronic health records from March 2020 to April 2021 to assess eye complications after COVID and the effect of mRNA vaccination on them.
- They analyzed matched cohorts of 73,654 vaccinated patients with COVID (mean age, 60.6 years; 61.6% women) and 73,654 unvaccinated patients with the condition (mean age, 61.2 years; 62.8% women); vaccination status was determined based on recorded receipt of an mRNA vaccine.
- In a separate matched analysis, 77,809 patients with COVID (mean age, 39.3 years; 58.8% women) were compared with a historic cohort of 77,809 patients with influenza (mean age, 39.7 years; 58.9% women).
- The incidence of ophthalmic conditions — retinal artery occlusion, retinal vein occlusion, retinal edema, vitreous hemorrhage, and neuro-ophthalmic manifestations — was assessed within 4 months of infection.
TAKEAWAY:
- Vaccinated patients with COVID had 32% lower odds of retinal edema (odds ratio [OR], 0.68; 99.5% CI, 0.54-0.85), 45% lower odds of vitreous hemorrhage (OR, 0.55; 99.5% CI, 0.44-0.68), and 40% lower odds of optic neuritis (OR, 0.60; 99.5% CI, 0.43-0.85) than unvaccinated patients with the disease.
- No significant differences were found in the incidence of retinal artery occlusion, retinal vein occlusion, or retinal hemorrhage between the vaccinated and unvaccinated cohorts.
- Patients with COVID had markedly higher odds of diplopia (OR, 1.89; 99.5% CI, 1.53-2.32) and cranial nerve VI palsy (OR, 3.19; 99.5% CI, 1.82-5.59) than those with influenza.
- The incidence of other neuro-ophthalmic manifestations and retinal complications was similar between patients with COVID and those with influenza.
IN PRACTICE:
“The complications we assessed were rare, though our results showed an increased incidence of retinal edema, vitreous hemorrhage, and optic neuritis in the nonvaccinated COVID-19 cohort,” the researchers reported.
“The increased incidence of retinal edema and vitreous hemorrhage in the nonvaccinated cohort suggests a potential for COVID-19 to affect posterior segment structures,” they added.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Alexander E. Azar, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland. It was published online in Eye.
LIMITATIONS:
This study could not determine if vaccination against COVID could prevent ophthalmic manifestations. Vaccination status may have been underreported since many participants received COVID vaccines at pharmacies or community centers not directly documented in the electronic health records. The study’s timeframe only reflected data from early strains of SARS-CoV-2 between March 2020 and April 2021, potentially limiting generalizability to newer variants or later vaccination phases.
DISCLOSURES:
This study received support from the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Cleveland, funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Advancing Translational Science, and other sources. Some authors reported serving as consultants, participating in speakers’ bureaus, receiving personal fees, and having other ties with multiple pharmaceutical companies.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.