COVID-19: Eye Abnormalities / Pulse Oximetry Accuracy & Skin Pigmentation

By Kelly Young

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Lorenzo Di Francesco, MD, FACP, FHM

Here are some of the recent developments on COVID-19:

Eye abnormalities: Some patients with severe COVID-19 have eye abnormalities, according to a study in Radiology. Researchers studied nearly 130 patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 who had undergone brain MRI. Some 7% of patients had one or more nodules of the posterior pole of the globe. Nodules were mostly bilateral, and all affected patients had nodules in the macular region. The authors conclude: "Severe eye problems might largely go unnoticed as these patients are often treated in intensive care units for much more severe, life-threatening conditions. Our data support the need for a screening and follow-up of these patients to provide appropriate treatment and improve the management of potentially severe ophthalmological manifestations."

Pulse oximetry accuracy: Skin pigmentation may affect the accuracy of pulse oximetry, according to the CDC. In a study cited by the agency, pulse oximetry did not detect occult hypoxemia nearly three times as often in Black patients as white patients. In patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, clinicians should use other factors (e.g., high-risk conditions, symptoms) in tandem with pulse oximetry.