Cotton Wool Spots in a Patient with COVID-19

Abstract

Background COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has affected over 519 million people worldwide. COVID-19 has not only been associated with significant respiratory illness, but also substantial systemic inflammatory, hypercoagulable, and thrombotic states. The ocular effects of COVID-19 have not been well identified at this time; however, there have been established associations of COVID-19 related retinopathy with systemic comorbidities, including yet not limited to hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions. Case Presentation A 75-year-old male presented for a routine eye examination 20 days after developing symptoms of COVID-19. He was found to have numerous parapapillary cotton wool spots. After extensive testing to rule out other potential etiologies, it was concluded that the cotton wool spots were caused by his recent COVID-19 infection. The systemic differential diagnoses and possible mechanisms by which the cotton wool spots developed in this case are discussed. Conclusions Understanding the impacts of COVID-19 on ocular health and inclusion of COVID-19 as a differential in a patient with retinopathy and a positive case history for COVID-10 is essential for eyecare professionals. CE Notification This article is available as a COPE accredited CE course. You may take this course for 1-hour credit. Read the article and take the qualifying test to earn your credit. Click here to Enroll (https://www.crojournal.com) Please check COPE course expiry date prior to enrollment. The COPE course test must be taken before the course expiry date.