Assessment of corneal endothelial cell parameters using specular microscopy in previously infected SARS-CoV-2 patients

PURPOSE: To examine the long-term effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on the corneal endothelium. METHODS: This was a comparative, cross-sectional study that included subjects who had recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection for at least 6 months (group 1) and a group of age- and sex-matched controls with no prior symptomatology or documentation of SARS-CoV-2 infection (group 2). After full ophthalmological evaluation, specular microscopy was used to examine the endothelial cell parameters, including endothelial cell density, coefficient of variation, hexagonality, average area, and central corneal thickness. RESULTS: Sixty-four and 53 right eyes were included in groups 1 and 2, respectively. No statistically significant differences were detected in any of the examined specular parameters between the two groups. CONCLUSION: SARS-CoV-2 infection may have no delayed sequel on the corneal endothelium. Future prospective studies with repeated examinations in the same subjects would be useful.