Objective:
To investigate the associations between COVID-19 infection, vaccination, and retinal vascular events.
Key Findings:
- Retinal artery occlusion is more common after COVID-19 infection.
- Retinal vein occlusion is more common after COVID-19 vaccination.
- The mRNA vaccine platform is associated with a higher rate of ocular adverse events compared to other vaccine types.
- Pooled relative risk for retinal vein occlusion was found to be 2.4, but results were statistically inconclusive due to study heterogeneity.
Interpretation:
The findings suggest a need for retina physicians to consider retinal vascular occlusions and related conditions in patients with COVID-19 infection or vaccination.
Limitations:
- Wide confidence intervals and study heterogeneity limit the conclusiveness of the findings.
- Potential biases in the included studies may affect the results.
Conclusion:
There is a critical need for ongoing vaccine surveillance and a broader differential diagnosis for retinal conditions associated with COVID-19.
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