AUTHOR=Montesel Andrea , Bucolo Claudio , Mouvet Victoria , Moret Emmanuelle , Eandi Chiara M. 

TITLE=Case Report: Central Retinal Artery Occlusion in a COVID-19 Patient

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2020

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.588384

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2020.588384

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=We report two cases of central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) in patients with a previous history of COVID-19 disease. This disease has been associated with inflammatory-induced homeostasis changes leading to a severe endothelial dysfunction and a procoagulant state with multi-organ involvement, but the burden of thromboembolic complications in COVID-19 patients is currently unknown. The pathogenesis of retinal artery occlusions is a multifactorial process where inflammation and hypercoagulation state are established risk factors. Even if our experience is still an anecdotal series of cases and may represent a coincidental relationship, it is likely that COVID-19 patients could be at risk of developing retinal vascular occlusions. A focused ophthalmological surveillance is advisable to prevent and manage this possible cause of severe vision loss that has an important impact in health care system.