PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY TO ESTIMATE PREGNANCY INDUCED CHANGES IN CENTRAL CORNEAL THICKNESS AND INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE

Abstract

PURPOSE: To estimate concurrent changes in Central Corneal Thickness (CCT) and Intraocular pressure (IOP) during normal pregnancy. METHODS DESIGN: Prospective cohort study of changes in Central Corneal thickness and Intraocular pressure in 45 pregnant women during third trimester and six weeks postpartum in a tertiary care hospital in Western Maharashtra, India. The change in Central Corneal thickness was measured by ASOCT in third trimester of pregnancy and six weeks postpartum. The change in Intraocular pressure was measured by Noncontact tonometer in units of mm of Hg in third trimester of pregnancy and six weeks postpartum. Correlation analysis was performed between the change in CCT and IOP. RESULTS: Results of our study suggest a signicant increase in CCT accompanied by a decrease in IOP in the same eyes during the third trimesters of normal pregnancy compared to six weeks postpartum. CONCLUSION: Due consideration should be given while diagnosing glaucoma during pregnancy and initiating treatment in view of physiological variance in IOP. Novel spectacle prescription and refractive surgeries must be circumvented during pregnancy owing to erroneous results due to these physiological changes in pregnancy.