Bilateral Acute Anterior Uveitis and Corneal Punctate Epitheliopathy in Children Diagnosed with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Secondary to COVID-19

Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2021 May 19;29(4):700-704. doi: 10.1080/09273948.2021.1909070. Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Abstract

Purpose: To report bilateral anterior uveitis and corneal punctate epitheliopathy in children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) secondary to coronavirus disease (COVID-19).Participants and methods: Five patients who were positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies and diagnosed with MIS-C were evaluated. Ophthalmologic examinations were performed in order to reveal ocular findings in MIS-C disease.Results: Slit lamp examinations showed bilateral non-granulomatous acute anterior uveitis in all patients and severe corneal punctuate epitheliopathy in three of the patients. These ocular findings mostly disappeared with treatment in about one week.Conclusion: Bilateral non-granulomatous acute anterior uveitis and dry eye can be detected in patients diagnosed with MIS-C secondary to COVID-19. Even if generally, COVID-19 is not a life threatening disease in children by itself, inflammatory ocular manifestations can be detected in MIS-C secondary to COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; MIS-C; dry eye; punctate epitheliopathy; uveitis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Antibodies, Viral / analysis*
  • COVID-19 / complications*
  • COVID-19 / diagnosis
  • COVID-19 / virology
  • Child
  • Cornea / pathology*
  • Cornea / virology
  • Corneal Diseases / diagnosis
  • Corneal Diseases / etiology*
  • Corneal Diseases / virology
  • Eye Infections, Viral / diagnosis
  • Eye Infections, Viral / etiology*
  • Eye Infections, Viral / virology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • SARS-CoV-2 / immunology*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Slit Lamp Microscopy
  • Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / complications*
  • Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / virology
  • Uvea / pathology
  • Uvea / virology
  • Uveitis, Anterior / diagnosis
  • Uveitis, Anterior / etiology*
  • Uveitis, Anterior / virology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral

Supplementary concepts

  • pediatric multisystem inflammatory disease, COVID-19 related