Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41046279›Full record

ArticleEye (London, England)2025

Ophthalmic complications associated with COVID-19: a large US national database analysis.

Alexander E Azar, Priya Shukla, Kevin C Allan, Rishi P Singh, Katherine E Talcott

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Eye (London, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Alexander E AzarCase Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-8037-6953
Priya ShuklaCleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Kevin C AllanCase Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Rishi P SinghCleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Katherine E TalcottCleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA. talcotk@ccf.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0458-4181

Funding

Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of ClevelandUL1TR002548 · NCATS · CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY · PI MCCOMSEY, GRACE A · 2018 to 2022
$35.5M
Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Northern Ohio, Catalyzing Linkages to Equity in Health (CLE Health)UM1TR004528 · NCATS · CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY · PI GRACE A MCCOMSEY · 2023 to 2026
$32.1M
RESOURCE/SERVICE CORE C - MOLECULAR INFORMATICS MODULEP30EY025585 · NEI · CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COM-CWRU · PI BELA ANAND-APTE · 2016 to 2026
$7.7M
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR002548NCATS NIH HHS UM1 TR004528NEI NIH HHS P30 EY025585Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) P30EY025585(BA-A)U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) UL1TR002548
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo assess ophthalmic complications following COVID-19 infection and the impact of mRNA vaccination.

methodsA retrospective cohort analysis was conducted using a large US database of de-identified electronic health records (1 March 2020-30 April 2021). Patients with COVID-19 and subsequent ophthalmology evaluation were included. The vaccinated COVID-19 cohort was matched to an unvaccinated cohort (n = 73,654 each). COVID-19 and influenza patients (n = 77,809 each) were also matched. Influenza served as a historical control. Ten ophthalmic conditions were assessed post-COVID-19 infection, including retinal artery occlusion (RAO), retinal vein occlusion (RVO), retinal oedema, vitreous haemorrhage, and neuro-ophthalmic manifestations. Bonferroni correction addressed multiple comparisons.

resultsVaccinated COVID-19 patients had significantly lower odds of retinal oedema (OR 0.68; 99.5% CI, 0.54-0.85), vitreous haemorrhage (OR 0.55; 99.5% CI, 0.44-0.68), and optic neuritis (OR 0.60; 99.5% CI, 0.43-0.85) compared to unvaccinated COVID-19 patients. There were no significant differences in the incidence of RAO, RVO, or retinal haemorrhage between vaccinated and unvaccinated cohorts. COVID-19 patients exhibited higher odds of diplopia (OR 1.89; 99.5% CI, 1.53-2.32) and cranial nerve VI palsy (OR 3.19; 99.5% CI, 1.82-5.59) compared to influenza patients, while rates of optic neuritis, RAO, RVO, retinal oedema, vitreous haemorrhage, and retinal haemorrhage were similar between the groups

conclusionsVaccination was associated with a lower incidence of retinal oedema, vitreous haemorrhage, and optic neuritis. Compared to influenza, COVID-19 was associated with diplopia and CN VI palsy, while other neuro-ophthalmic and retinal pathologies had similar risk. Further research is needed to clarify these associations and underlying mechanisms.

Indexed as

COVID-19Eye DiseasesSARS-CoV-2AdultAgedAged, 80 and overCOVID-19 VaccinesDatabases, FactualFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetinal Vein OcclusionRetrospective StudiesUnited StatesVaccinationCOVID-19 Vaccines

Identifiers

PMID41046279
PMCPMC12623750

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.