Abstract:Background and Objectives: The ocular adaptations that occur during pregnancy are just one of the many physiological changes that might be impacted by pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). In addition to being early warning signs of maternal and foetal risk, abnormalities in the eyes, including changes in visual acuity, retinal vasculature, and intraocular pressure (IOP), can indicate systemic problems. The purpose of this research was to find the first signs of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy by comparing the eye changes that occur during normal pregnancy with those that occur with PIH.
Material and Methods: In this prospective observational study, 60 pregnant women were separated into two groups: Group I, which consisted of 30 women experiencing a normal pregnancy, and Group II, which consisted of 30 women experiencing pregnancy-induced hypertension. As part of a thorough eye exam, the patient had their visual acuity tested, their fundus looked at, and their intraocular pressure measured with applanation tonometry. We took the patient's blood pressure and other pertinent obstetric measurements.
Results: Both groups maintained very normal visual acuity; however, 4 patients (13.3%) in the PIH group showed a slight decrease. Eight patients (26.6% of the total) in the PIH group had fundus abnormalities, such as narrowing of the retinal arteriolar and changes in arteriovenous crossing, whereas no such changes were seen in the normal pregnancy group. When comparing normal pregnancy (13.8±2.1 mmHg) to PIH (16.2±2.8 mmHg, p = 0.001), the mean intraocular pressure was substantially lower in the former. There was little difference in the amount of conjunctival and corneal alterations across the groups.
Conclusion: Differences between normal and pregnancy-induced hypertension are small but noticeable in the eyes, especially in intraocular pressure and retinal vasculature. Hypertensive pregnancies can be better monitored and therapies can be guided more quickly with early ophthalmic evaluation.
