Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion in a COVID-19 Positive Patient

Abstract

Retinal vein occlusions (RVOs), including central retinal vein occlusions (CRVOs) and branch retinal vein occlusions (BRVOs), are a common cause of morbidity in elderly patients. We present the case of a healthy 74-year-old female patient who initially presented with blurry vision in her left eye in the setting of a symptomatic COVID-19 infection. She was diagnosed with a branch retinal vein occlusion that did not immediately require treatment. Three months later, she again presented with worsening vision and was found to have cystoid macular edema (CME) secondary to the vein occlusion, thus was treated with an intravitreal dexamethasone implant. This case serves to highlight the growing evidence of increased thromboembolic risk associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the possible correlation of COVID-19 infections with ocular pathology, including retinal vein occlusions.