Neuropathic Corneal Pain after Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Infection
Introduction: This is a case report of a patient with neuropathic corneal pain after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Methods: A previously healthy 27-year-old female presented with bilateral eye pain accompanied by increased light sensitivity 5 months after COVID-19 infection. She was...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Diseases |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9721/12/2/37 |
| _version_ | 1797298512085385216 |
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| author | Natalie Shi Qi Wong Chang Liu Molly Tzu-Yu Lin Isabelle Xin Yu Lee Louis Tong Yu-Chi Liu |
| author_facet | Natalie Shi Qi Wong Chang Liu Molly Tzu-Yu Lin Isabelle Xin Yu Lee Louis Tong Yu-Chi Liu |
| author_sort | Natalie Shi Qi Wong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: This is a case report of a patient with neuropathic corneal pain after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Methods: A previously healthy 27-year-old female presented with bilateral eye pain accompanied by increased light sensitivity 5 months after COVID-19 infection. She was diagnosed with neuropathic corneal pain based on clear corneas without fluorescein staining, alongside the presence of microneuromas, dendritic cells, and activated stromal keratocytes identified bilaterally on in vivo confocal microscopy. Results: The patient’s tear nerve growth factor, substance P, and calcitonin gene-related peptide levels were 5.9 pg/mL, 2978.7 pg/mL, and 1.1 ng/mL, respectively, for the right eye and 23.1 pg/mL, 4798.7 pg/mL, and 1.2 ng/mL, respectively, for the left eye, suggesting corneal neuroinflammatory status. After 6 weeks of topical 0.1% flurometholone treatment, decreased microneuroma size, less extensive dendritic cells, and reduced tear nerve growth factor and substance P levels were observed. The scores on the Ocular Pain Assessment Survey showed an improvement in burning sensation and light sensitivity, decreasing from 80% and 70% to 50% for both. Conclusions: Neuropathic corneal pain is a potential post-COVID-19 complication that warrants ophthalmologists’ and neurologists’ attention. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:35:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c8a46eba697e45549e5ece169b1b2625 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-9721 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:35:56Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diseases |
| spelling | doaj.art-c8a46eba697e45549e5ece169b1b26252024-02-23T15:13:59ZengMDPI AGDiseases2079-97212024-02-011223710.3390/diseases12020037Neuropathic Corneal Pain after Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) InfectionNatalie Shi Qi Wong0Chang Liu1Molly Tzu-Yu Lin2Isabelle Xin Yu Lee3Louis Tong4Yu-Chi Liu5Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, SingaporeSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 169856, SingaporeSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 169856, SingaporeSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 169856, SingaporeSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 169856, SingaporeSingapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 169856, SingaporeIntroduction: This is a case report of a patient with neuropathic corneal pain after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Methods: A previously healthy 27-year-old female presented with bilateral eye pain accompanied by increased light sensitivity 5 months after COVID-19 infection. She was diagnosed with neuropathic corneal pain based on clear corneas without fluorescein staining, alongside the presence of microneuromas, dendritic cells, and activated stromal keratocytes identified bilaterally on in vivo confocal microscopy. Results: The patient’s tear nerve growth factor, substance P, and calcitonin gene-related peptide levels were 5.9 pg/mL, 2978.7 pg/mL, and 1.1 ng/mL, respectively, for the right eye and 23.1 pg/mL, 4798.7 pg/mL, and 1.2 ng/mL, respectively, for the left eye, suggesting corneal neuroinflammatory status. After 6 weeks of topical 0.1% flurometholone treatment, decreased microneuroma size, less extensive dendritic cells, and reduced tear nerve growth factor and substance P levels were observed. The scores on the Ocular Pain Assessment Survey showed an improvement in burning sensation and light sensitivity, decreasing from 80% and 70% to 50% for both. Conclusions: Neuropathic corneal pain is a potential post-COVID-19 complication that warrants ophthalmologists’ and neurologists’ attention.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9721/12/2/37neuropathic corneal paincoronavirus disease 2019corneal nervescornea |
| spellingShingle | Natalie Shi Qi Wong Chang Liu Molly Tzu-Yu Lin Isabelle Xin Yu Lee Louis Tong Yu-Chi Liu Neuropathic Corneal Pain after Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Infection Diseases neuropathic corneal pain coronavirus disease 2019 corneal nerves cornea |
| title | Neuropathic Corneal Pain after Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Infection |
| title_full | Neuropathic Corneal Pain after Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Infection |
| title_fullStr | Neuropathic Corneal Pain after Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Infection |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neuropathic Corneal Pain after Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Infection |
| title_short | Neuropathic Corneal Pain after Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Infection |
| title_sort | neuropathic corneal pain after coronavirus disease 2019 covid 19 infection |
| topic | neuropathic corneal pain coronavirus disease 2019 corneal nerves cornea |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9721/12/2/37 |
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