PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Sandra Banderas García
AU  - David Aragón
AU  - Brahim Azarfane
AU  - Fernando Trejo
AU  - Xavier Garrell-Salat
AU  - Adrián Sánchez-Montalvá
AU  - Susana Otero-Romero
AU  - Jose Garcia-Arumi
AU  - Miguel Angel Zapata
TI  - Persistent reduction of retinal microvascular vessel density in patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 disease
AID  - 10.1136/bmjophth-2021-000867
DP  - 2022 Jan 01
TA  - BMJ Open Ophthalmology
PG  - e000867
VI  - 7
IP  - 1
4099  - http://bmjophth.bmj.com/content/7/1/e000867.short
4100  - http://bmjophth.bmj.com/content/7/1/e000867.full
SO  - BMJ Open Ophth2022 Jan 01; 7
AB  - Objective This study aims to analyse the possible recovery or worsening in retinal microvasculature after 8 months in a previously studied COVID-19 cohort.Methods and analysis A cross-sectional case–control study and a prospective longitudinal cohort study. Participants were the subjects of our previous study who re-enrolled for a new examination including a fundus photograph (retinography), an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan and an OCT angiography. COVID-19 diagnosed patients were divided into three groups: group 1: mild disease, asymptomatic/paucisymptomatic subjects who received outpatient care; group 2: moderate disease and group 3: severe disease, both of which required hospital admission because of pneumonia. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software (V.23.0). Cross-sectional intergroup differences were analysed by means of analysis of variance for normally distributed variables and the Kruskal-Wallis test for non-normally distributed ones. In reference to the prospective part of the study (intragroup differences, baseline with 8-month comparison), a paired t-test was used for normally distributed data and Wilcoxon signed ranks sum for non-normally distributed data.Results The fovea-centered superficial and deep vascular densities were significantly diminished in severe cases compared with mild cases (p=0.004; p=0.003, respectively, for superficial and deep) and to controls (p=0.014; p=0.010), also in moderate cases to mild group (p=0.004; p=0.003) and to controls (p=0.012; p=0.024). In the longitudinal study, no significant statistical differences were found between baseline and 8-month follow-up vessel density values.Conclusion We demonstrated persistent reduction in the central vascular area over time in patients with moderate and severe COVID-19.Data are available on reasonable request. All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information. All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information, but additional data are available on reasonable request.