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In Brief | Ocular manifestations of COVID-19 in pediatric patients
Type of article: In Brief
MedED Catalogue Reference: MOIB002
Sources: Therapeutic Advances in Ophthalmology
Published on MedED: 22 June 2023. Reproduced under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
In this narrative review, the authors focus on the ophthalmic manifestations of COVID-19 in children. While COVID-19 primarily affects the respiratory system, it can also have systemic effects on various other organ systems, including the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neurological, otorhinolaryngologic, and ophthalmic systems. The authors highlight that ophthalmic signs may be the initial and sole indication of COVID-19 infection in children.
To compile their findings, the authors conducted a comprehensive literature search from March 1, 2020, to January 1, 2022, specifically looking for publications related to ophthalmic manifestations of COVID-19 in children. They identified conjunctivitis as the most common ophthalmic manifestation in children, which can occur at any stage of the disease. Furthermore, the presence of ophthalmic manifestations tends to be more prevalent in children with severe systemic COVID-19. Table 1 represents the more commonly occurring ocular manifestations from the review
Finally, the authors discuss the occurrence of myopia as a long-term consequence of COVID-19. Although not directly related to acute ophthalmic manifestations, the increase in cases of myopia is considered an indirect consequence of the disease.
Based on their findings, the researchers conclude that as the pandemic evolves and until vaccine coverage for children expands, ophthalmologists and paediatricians should maintain a high clinical suspicion for ophthalmic manifestations due to inflammatory changes induced by the virus.
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