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¹MD, Beyhekim Training and Research Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Konya, Turkey
²Professor, Selçuk University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Konya, Turkey DOI : 10.37845/ret.vit.2021.30.55 Declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, COVID-19 continues rapidly with the number of confirmed cases reaching 82.5 million and approximately 1.8 million deaths according to WHO data as of December 2020. All physicians in our country and around the world encounter this infection and its possible complications. SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped RNA virus in the betacoronavirus family. SARS-CoV-2 binds to the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE2) protein and enters the host cell. ACE2 receptor has been detected on the surface of type 2 alveolar cells, enterocytes and intestinal epithelial cells, vascular endothelial cells, conjunctiva and corneal epithelial cells, and surface of some cells at the central nervous system (CNS) cortex and brainstem regions and retinal and visual pathway elements. The damage caused by the virus in these tissues constitutes the clinical picture of the disease. Neurological symptoms can be seen in a wide range including CNS involvement and peripheral nervous system (PSS) involvement. Viral neuro-invasion occurs through various ways such as the trans-synaptic pathway, olfactory nerve invasion, hematogenous pathway, leukocyte migration / inappropriate immune response, and trigeminal nerve trans-synaptic pathway or retinal ganglion cell involvement. Ocular involvement may show a wide range of manifestations such as conjunctivitis, anterior uveitis, retinal vasculitis, retinal degeneration and apoptosis, optic neuritis, and axonal damage. Although COVID-19 is prominent with respiratory system findings and complications, reports on neurological and neuro-ophthalmological findings are increasing. Therefore, physicians must take into account the neurological and neuro-ophthalmological relationships in patient examination and clinical study planning. Keywords : SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, neurology, neuro-ophthalmology