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Vallejo-Garcia JL, Balia L, Raimondi R, Rustioni G, Camesasca FI, Borgia A, Fossati G, Confalonieri F, Legrottaglie EF, Casari E, Sandri MT, Vinciguerra P. Conjunctivitis as a sign of persistent SARS-COV-2 infection? An observational study and report of late symptoms. Eur J Ophthalmol 2021; 32:11206721211056594. [PMID: 34761693 PMCID: PMC8935141 DOI: 10.1177/11206721211056594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate if symptomatic conjunctivitis during the recovery phase of the disease could be associated to a persistent presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the upper respiratory tract. Secondary end points were to analyze the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the conjunctiva of ocular symptomatic patients and to record the presence of ocular disturbances at this point of the disease. METHODS An observational study including consecutive COVID19 patients treated at Humanitas Clinical and Research Hospital who were attending for nasopharyngeal swab to confirm the resolution of SARS-CoV-2 infection and end of isolation. We examined 129 consecutive patients from May to June 2020. The primary end point was to determine if symptomatic conjunctivitis at this point of the disease could be associated to a persistent presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the upper respiratory tract. Secondary end points were to analyze the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the conjunctiva of ocular symptomatic patients and to record the presence of ocular disturbances at this point of the disease. RESULTS One hundred twenty eight patients were included, 9.38% had conjunctivitis, none resulted positive to conjunctival PCR swab test, while two of them had positive nasopharyngeal result. Mean time elapsed since the first COVID-19 positive swab to the time of examination was 6 weeks ( ± 3). The only significant association was the presence of conjunctivitis with older age (65.3 ± 12.7 vs 56.7 + 13.5. p = 0.046). Nasopharyngeal swab resulted positive in 22 patients (17.19%). While 88 patients (68.2%) did not have any ocular complain during their COVID19 disease. The 40 patients (31.8%) reporting ocular disturbances complained about: redness (25.43%), tearing (19.53%), burning (18.35%), foreign body sensation (17.18%), itching (15.62%), and discharge (12.5%). CONCLUSION This study showed that late conjunctivitis cannot be considered as a marker of persistent infection when patients are sent to confirm the resolution of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Luis Vallejo-Garcia
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - L Balia
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - R Raimondi
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - G Rustioni
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - FI Camesasca
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - A Borgia
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - G Fossati
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - F Confalonieri
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | | | - E Casari
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - MT Sandri
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - P Vinciguerra
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
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Savino G, Balia L, Colucci D, Battendieri R, Gari M, Corsello SM, Pontecorvi A, Dickmann A. Intraorbital injection of rituximab: a new approach for active thyroid-associated orbitopathy, a prospective case series. MINERVA ENDOCRINOL 2013; 38:173-179. [PMID: 23732371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
AIM The aim of this paper was to examine the efficacy and the safety of intraorbital administration of the monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody rituximab (RTX) to treat patients affected by thyroid-associated orbitopathy (TAO) unresponsive to conventional therapy. METHODS Five patients with active moderately-severe TAO unresponsive to systemic glucocorticoids were studied. After a complete ophthalmological examination, disease activity and severity were assessed by the clinical activity score (CAS) and the NO SPECS scoring system. Computed tomography scans were performed in all patients. Patients were treated with intraorbital injection of RTX 10 mg once a week for one month repeated once one month apart. The patients were followed every three months until 18 months. RESULTS In all patients treated with RTX, CAS was significantly reduced (p< 0,005), inactive phase of TAO was reached in four out of five patients. No patients experienced major side effects, minor side effects were reported in two patients. CONCLUSION Intraorbital injection of RTX is a safe and useful promising therapeutic option for active TAO.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Savino
- Institute of Ophthalmology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
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