Combined endophthalmitis and orbital cellulitis in patients with corona virus disease (COVID-19)

PURPOSE: To document the presentation of unilateral combined endophthalmitis and orbital cellulitis in patients with COVID-19 infection and study their prognosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This interventional case series study included 9 patients referred to the Ophthalmology Department, Minia University Hospital with unilateral combined endophthalmitis and orbital cellulitis between April 2020 and March 2021. In addition to the COVID-19 work-up, all patients were subjected to full ophthalmological evaluation and managed according to their ophthalmic and systemic disease. RESULTS: The patients were 5 females and 4 males. They had clinical, laboratory and imaging findings that confirmed COVID-19 infection. All patients had unilateral endophthalmitis with orbital cellulitis and profound visual loss in the affected eye. Three patients died due to respiratory failure, while 6 patients recovered systemically. The survived patients developed atrophia bulbi in 4 patients and in 2 patients, the globe retained normal size but with complete visual loss. CONCLUSION: Combined endophthalmitis and orbital cellulitis can be one of the early presentations of patients with COVID-19 infection with poor visual prognosis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical registration: clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT04456556.