Scientific article
OA Policy
English

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings in post-COVID-19 healthcare workers

Published inJournal of imaging, vol. 11, no. 6, 195
First online date2025-06-12
Abstract

Recent evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may induce subtle anatomical changes in the retina, detectable through advanced imaging techniques. This retrospective case-control study utilized optical coherence tomography (OCT) to assess medium-term retinal alterations in 55 healthcare workers, including 25 individuals with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 and 30 non-COVID-19 controls, all of whom had worked in COVID-19 clinical settings. Comprehensive ophthalmological examinations, including OCT imaging, were conducted six months after infection. The analysis considered demographic variables, comorbidities, COVID-19 severity, risk factors, and treatments received. Central macular thickness (CMT) was significantly increased in the post-COVID-19 group (p < 0.05), with a weak but statistically significant positive correlation between CMT and disease severity (r = 0.245, p < 0.05), suggesting potential post-inflammatory retinal responses. No significant differences were observed in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) or ganglion cell complex (GCL + IPL) thickness. However, mild negative trends in inferior RNFL and average GCL+IPL thickness may indicate early neurodegenerative changes. Notably, patients with comorbidities exhibited a significant reduction in superior and inferior RNFL thickness, pointing to possible long-term neurovascular impairment. These findings underscore the value of OCT imaging in identifying subclinical retinal alterations following COVID-19 and highlight the need for continued surveillance in recovered patients, particularly those with pre-existing systemic conditions.

Keywords
  • Neurovascular imaging
  • Optical coherence tomography
  • Post-COVID-19 retinal changes
Citation (ISO format)
BURGIĆ, Sanela Sanja et al. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings in post-COVID-19 healthcare workers. In: Journal of imaging, 2025, vol. 11, n° 6, p. 195. doi: 10.3390/jimaging11060195
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Additional URL for this publicationhttps://www.mdpi.com/2313-433X/11/6/195
Journal ISSN2313-433X
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Creation06/07/2025 17:25:25
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Update10/07/2025 09:53:51
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