Changes of the choroid in preeclampsia and healthy pregnant women by using optical coherence tomography

Abstract

Objective The aim of the study is to evaluate choroidal thickness alteration in women with preeclampsia and compare with healthy pregnant and nonpregnant controls by using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Background Pregnancy is a predisposing factor for central serous chorioretinopathy. Choroidal thickness (CT) increases in central serous chorioretinopathy and this study evaluates changes in computed tomography (CT) during pregnancy and preeclampsia. Patients and methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted at Menoufia University Hospital Ophthalmology Department during the period from April 2018 to March 2019 on 66 eyes of 33 patients divided into groups. Each group had 22 eyes. Group 1 is the pregnant group and group 2 is the preeclampsia. Group 3 included healthy nonpregnant controls. Each of the patients underwent full ophthalmologic examination followed by OCT assessment and the procedure was achieved without pupillary dilatation. Macular thickness was determined automatically and was analyzed by OCT. Results The choroid thickness increases in both healthy pregnant women and preeclampsia women. Choroidal thickness in healthy pregnant women was significantly thicker than preeclampsia. The most likely mechanism for this increase is pregnancy-related fluid retention in the choroid layer. The choroidal thickness in preeclampsia was lower than healthy pregnant women. This lower rise in choroidal thickness can be generally attributed to the markedly increased systemic vascular vasospasm secondary to preeclampsia. Conclusion This study has shown that CT measured using OCT increased in women with preeclampsia and healthy pregnant women but the increase of CT in preeclampsia was lower than healthy pregnant controls.