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Noor M, McGrath O, Drira I, Aslam T. Retinal Microvasculature Image Analysis Using Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Patients with Post-COVID-19 Syndrome. J Imaging 2023; 9:234. [PMID: 37998081 PMCID: PMC10672226 DOI: 10.3390/jimaging9110234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Several optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) studies have demonstrated retinal microvascular changes in patients post-SARS-CoV-2 infection, reflecting retinal-systemic microvasculature homology. Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) entails persistent symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, we investigated the retinal microvasculature in PCS patients using OCT-angiography and analysed the macular retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell layer (GCL) thickness via spectral domain-OCT (SD-OCT). Conducted at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, UK, this cross-sectional study compared 40 PCS participants with 40 healthy controls, who underwent ophthalmic assessments, SD-OCT, and OCT-A imaging. OCT-A images from the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) were analysed using an in-house specialised software, OCT-A vascular image analysis (OCTAVIA), measuring the mean large vessel and capillary intensity, vessel density, ischaemia areas, and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area and circularity. RNFL and GCL thickness was measured using the OCT machine's software. Retinal evaluations occurred at an average of 15.2 ± 6.9 months post SARS-CoV-2 infection in PCS participants. Our findings revealed no significant differences between the PCS and control groups in the OCT-A parameters or RNFL and GCL thicknesses, indicating that no long-term damage ensued in the vascular bed or retinal layers within our cohort, providing a degree of reassurance for PCS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maha Noor
- Department of Eye Research, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9WL, UK
| | - Orlaith McGrath
- Department of Eye Research, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9WL, UK
| | - Ines Drira
- Department of Eye Research, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9WL, UK
- Ophtalmologie Département, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, 31300 Toulouse, France
| | - Tariq Aslam
- Department of Eye Research, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9WL, UK
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
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Sulli A, Gotelli E, Bica PF, Schiavetti I, Pizzorni C, Aloè T, Grosso M, Barisione E, Paolino S, Smith V, Cutolo M. Detailed videocapillaroscopic microvascular changes detectable in adult COVID-19 survivors. Microvasc Res 2022; 142:104361. [PMID: 35339493 PMCID: PMC8942583 DOI: 10.1016/j.mvr.2022.104361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Objective COVID-19 is a multisystem disease that causes endothelial dysfunction and organ damage. Aim of the study was to evaluate the microvascular status in COVID-19 survivors with past different disease severity, in comparison with age and sex-matched primary Raynaud's phenomenon (PRP) patients and control subjects (CNT), including possible effects of concomitant therapies. Methods Sixty-one COVID-19 survivors (mean age 58 ± 13 years, mean days from disease onset 126 ± 53 and mean days from recovery 104 ± 53), thirty-one PRP patients (mean age 59 ± 15 years, mean disease duration 11 ± 10 years) and thirty CNT (mean age 58 ± 13 years) underwent nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) examination. The following capillaroscopic parameters were searched and scored (0–3): dilated capillaries, giant capillaries, isolated microhemorrhages, capillary ramifications (angiogenesis) and capillary number, including absolute capillary number per linear millimeter at the nailfold bed. Results The mean nailfold capillary number per linear millimeter was significantly lower in COVID-19 survivors when compared with PRP patients and CNT (univariate and multivariate analysis p < 0.001). On the contrary, COVID-19 survivors showed significantly less isolated microhemorrhages than PRP patients and CNT (univariate and multivariate analysis, p = 0.005 and p = 0.012, respectively). No statistically significant difference was observed between COVID-19 survivors and control groups concerning the frequency of dilated capillaries and capillary ramifications. COVID-19 selective therapies showed a promising trend on preserving capillary loss and deserving further investigations. Conclusions SARS-CoV-2 seems to mainly induce a significant loss of capillaries in COVID-19 survivors at detailed NVC analysis in comparison to controls. The presence of a significant reduced score for isolated microhaemorrhages in COVID-19 survivors deserves further analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Sulli
- Laboratory of Experimental Rheumatology and Academic Division of Clinical Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties, University of Genova, IRCCS San Martino Polyclinic Hospital, Genova, Italy.
| | - Emanuele Gotelli
- Laboratory of Experimental Rheumatology and Academic Division of Clinical Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties, University of Genova, IRCCS San Martino Polyclinic Hospital, Genova, Italy
| | - Pietro Francesco Bica
- Laboratory of Experimental Rheumatology and Academic Division of Clinical Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties, University of Genova, IRCCS San Martino Polyclinic Hospital, Genova, Italy
| | - Irene Schiavetti
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Carmen Pizzorni
- Laboratory of Experimental Rheumatology and Academic Division of Clinical Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties, University of Genova, IRCCS San Martino Polyclinic Hospital, Genova, Italy.
| | - Teresita Aloè
- Interventional Pneumology Unit, IRCCS San Martino Polyclinic Hospital, Genova, Italy
| | - Marco Grosso
- Interventional Pneumology Unit, IRCCS San Martino Polyclinic Hospital, Genova, Italy
| | - Emanuela Barisione
- Interventional Pneumology Unit, IRCCS San Martino Polyclinic Hospital, Genova, Italy
| | - Sabrina Paolino
- Laboratory of Experimental Rheumatology and Academic Division of Clinical Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties, University of Genova, IRCCS San Martino Polyclinic Hospital, Genova, Italy.
| | - Vanessa Smith
- Department of Rheumatology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium; Department of Internal Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium; Unit for Molecular Immunology and Inflammation, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Inflammation Research Center (IRC), Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Maurizio Cutolo
- Laboratory of Experimental Rheumatology and Academic Division of Clinical Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties, University of Genova, IRCCS San Martino Polyclinic Hospital, Genova, Italy.
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