Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on glaucoma

Abstract

Aim: To observe the course of glaucoma progression after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment of patients with glaucoma.

Methods: This observational case-control study included a total of 74 patients with COVID-19 infection who were diagnosed with glaucoma previously. The study focused on the left eye of 37 patients each was treated as an inpatient (group 1) or outpatient (group 2). Age, gender, existence of systemic and ocular diseases, symptoms, laboratory results, drugs used for COVID-19 and glaucoma, length of hospital stay, intraocular pressure (IOP), and central corneal thickness (CCT) values were recorded. Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (ppRNFLT), ganglion cell–inner plexiform layer complex thickness (GCIPLT), and vertical cup-disc (C-D) ratio results were compared before and after COVID-19 treatment in both groups.

Results: A significant increase was observed in IOP and a significant decrease was observed in GCIPLT in both groups (groups 1 and 2 for both values p<0.01 and p=0.02, respectively) after COVID-19 infection. In both groups, the mean difference (MD) for IOP and GCIPLT values were higher in group 1. Although ppRNFLT values decreased in both groups, a significant decrease was observed in group 1 after COVID-19 infection (p=0.03). The mean C-D ratio was higher after COVID-19 infection in groups 1 and 2. (p=0.04 and p=0.051, respectively). CCT did not show a significant difference in either group (p>0.05).

Conclusion: PpRNFLT and GCIPLT values were reduced and IOP and C-D ratio values were increased in glaucoma patients after COVID-19 infection. Infection progression was observed to be worse in the inpatient group.