Volume 2021, Issue 2

Abstract

Similar to several viruses, coronaviruses can affect the eye and cause conjunctivitis. In addition to ocular involvement, it causes systemic manifestations, mainly respiratory symptoms. However, conjunctivitis as the only sign and symptom of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a rare presentation. We present a case of a 20-year-old male patient who presented with conjunctivitis for 3 days and diagnosed on the same day with COVID-19 without other manifestations. Conjunctivitis affected both eyes and resolved over 2 weeks with artificial tears only and without any ocular complications.

Conjunctivitis can be the only sign and symptom of COVID-19 in some patients. Therefore, healthcare providers, particularly ophthalmologists, should take precautions when dealing with patients presenting with conjunctivitis amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.5339/qmj.2021.31
2021-08-31
2024-03-29
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/qmj/2021/2/qmj.2021.31.html?itemId=/content/journals/10.5339/qmj.2021.31&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Neuman BW, Adair BD, Yoshioka C, Quispe JD, Orca G, Kuhn P, Milligan RA, Yeager M, Buchmeier MJ, . Supramolecular architecture of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus revealed by electron cryomicroscopy. J Virol. 200680:7918–28.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Peiris J, . Coronaviruses. In: Richman D, Whitley R, Hayden F, editors, Clinical virology. 4th ed. Washington, DC: ASM Press; 2017. p. 1243–65.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Zou X, Chen K, Zou J, Han P, Hao J, Han Z, . Single-cell RNA-seq data analysis on the receptor ACE2 expression reveals the potential risk of different human organs vulnerable to 2019-nCoV infection. Front Med. 202014:185–92.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Savaskan E, Löffler KU, Meier F, Müller-Spahn F, Flammer J, Meyer P. Immunohistochemical localization of angiotensin-converting enzyme, angiotensin II and AT1 receptor in human ocular tissues. Ophthal Res. 200436:312–20.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Sindhuja K, Lomi N, Asif MI, Tandon R, . Clinical profile and prevalence of conjunctivitis in mild COVID-19 patients in a tertiary care COVID-19 hospital: A retrospective cross-sectional study. Indian J Ophthalmol. 202068:1546–50.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Sen M, Honavar SG, Sharma N, Sachdev MS, . COVID-19 and eye: a review of ophthalmic manifestations of COVID-19. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2021;69:488–509.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Azari AA, Barney NP, . Conjunctivitis: a systematic review of diagnosis and treatment. JAMA. 2013;310:1721–9.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Güemes-Villahoz N,Burgos-Blasco B, Arribi-Vilela AA,Arriola-Villalobos P, Rico-Luna CM, Cuiña-Sardiña R, Delgado-Iribarren A, García-Feijoó J. Detecting SARS-CoV-2 RNA in conjunctival secretions: Is it a valuable diagnostic method of COVID-19? J Med Virol.2021;93:383–8.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Seah I, Agrawal R, . Can the coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) affect the eyes? A review of coronaviruses and ocular implications in humans and animals. Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 202028:391–5.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Willcox MD, Walsh K, Nichols JJ, Morgan PB, Jones LW, . The ocular surface, coronaviruses and COVID-19. Clin Exp Optom. 2020;103:418–24.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Mahmoud H, Ammar H, El Rashidy A, Ali AH, Hefny HM, Mounir A. Assessment of coronavirus in the conjunctival tears and secretions in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection in Sohag Province, Egypt. Clin Ophthalmol. 202014:2701–8.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Xia J, Tong J, Liu M, Shen Y, Guo D, . Evaluation of coronavirus in tears and conjunctival secretions of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. J Med Virol. 202092:589–94.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Jin YP, Trope GE, El-Defrawy S, Liu EY, Buys YM. Ophthalmology-focused publications and findings on COVID-19: A systematic review [published online ahead of print, Feb 8 2021]. Eur J Ophthalmol. 2021:1120672121992949.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Qing H, Li Z, Yang Z, Shi M, Huang Z, Song J, Song Z, . The possibility of COVID-19 transmission from eye to nose. Acta ophthalmol. 2020;98:e388.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Choi H, Chatterjee P, Coppin JD, et al, . Current understanding of the surface contamination and contact transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare settings [published online ahead of print, Feb 11 2021]. Environ Chem Lett. 2021:1–10.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Khavandi S, Tabibzadeh E, Naderan M, Shoar S, . Corona virus disease-19 (COVID-19) presenting as conjunctivitis: atypically high-risk during a pandemic. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 202043:211–2.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Marquezan MC, Marquezam JP, Nascimento H, Chalita MR, de Freitas D, Belfort R Jr. Conjunctivitis related to not severe COVID-19: A case report. Ocul Immunol Inflam. 202020:1–3.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Ozturker ZK, . Conjunctivitis as sole symptom of COVID-19: A case report and review of literature. Eur J Ophthalmol. 2021 Jul 24:1120672120946287;31:NP161–6.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Wu P, Liang L, Chen C, Nie S, . A child confirmed COVID-19 with only symptoms of conjunctivitis and eyelid dermatitis. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2020;258:1565–6.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Eid MM, Al Khalaf BN. Conjunctivitis as initial presenting symptom in a COVID-19 patient. Vis J Emerg Med. 202123:100997.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Scalinci SZ, Trovato Battagliola, E. Conjunctivitis can be the only presenting sign and symptom of COVID-19. ID Cases. 202020:e00774.
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.5339/qmj.2021.31
Loading
/content/journals/10.5339/qmj.2021.31
Loading

Data & Media loading...

Keyword(s): conjunctivitisecoronavirusCOVID-19healthcare providers.ophthalmologists and SARS-CoV-2

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed