Clinical presentation of acute primary angle closure during the COVID-19 epidemic lockdown

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the clinical presentation of acute primary angle closure (APAC) during the COVID-19 epidemic lockdown in Wuhan. METHODS: Consecutive patients seeking APAC treatment at the Wuhan Aier Eye Hospital during the 76 days (January 23–April 8, 2020) when the lockdown policy was implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic were compared to those during the same period the following year (January 23–April 8, 2021), when the lockdown policy was not implemented. The cohorts were compared to assess demographic variables and clinical presentations. RESULTS: A total of 54 patients (64 eyes) were included in the 2020, compared with 46 patients (51 eyes) in the 2021. Demographic factors were similar between the groups. Significantly more patients developed blindness in the 2020 cohort (21.87%) than in the 2021 cohort (7.84%). Patients in the 2020 showed a longer time from symptom to treatment (241.84 ± 211.95 h in 2020 vs. 121.53 ± 96.12 h in 2021; P = 0.001), higher intraocular pressure at presentation (52.63 ± 12.45 mmHg in 2020 vs. 45.16 ± 9.79 mmHg in 2021; P = 0.001), larger pupil diameter (5.47 ± 1.62 mm in 2020 vs. 4.33 ± 1.27 mm in 2021; P = 0.001), and more glaucomatous optic neuropathy diagnoses [20/64 eyes (31.25%) in 2020 vs. 7/51 eyes (13.73%) in 2021; P = 0.03]. CONCLUSION: The time between the onset of APAC symptoms and its treatment during the COVID-19 epidemic lockdown was significantly prolonged, which increased the blindness rate of APAC patients.