Retinal findings in patients affected by COVID 19 intubated in an intensive care unit

Coronavirus disease-2019(COVID-19) has been associated with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and with different systemic manifestations. It is characterized by microvascular thrombosis linked to extensive alveolar and interstitial inflammation. The ophthalmological changes have been associated with external ocular manifestations such as conjunctivitis, or retinal vasculature damage consequences such as cottonwool spots, which are the manifestation of disturbed axonal transport, and haemorrhages. We studied 28 eyes of 15 adults affected by ARDS COVID-19 (3 women and 12 men, aged 39–82 years), intubated in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Careggi Hospital, Florence,Italy.