Affiliation:
1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Umraniye
Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal Fetal
Unit, Umraniye Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
3. Department of Radiology, Umraniye Training and Research
Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
Abstract
Abstract
Objective Preeclampsia, whose pathophysiology is still not fully
elucidated today, is a pregnancy-specific disease that affects most organ
systems in pregnant women, including the central nervous system. In this
context, we aimed to investigate the effects of preeclampsia on blood flow in
the ophthalmic artery of the eye, which is considered a part of the central
nervous system.
Materials and Methods This prospective, non-interventional cohort study
was conducted between February 2022 and June 2022 at Umraniye Training and
Research Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Istanbul, Turkey.
Forty-six normotensive healthy pregnant women constituted the control group and
46 preeclamptic pregnant women constituted the preeclampsia group. Prenatal
follow-up and delivery of the participants were carried out in our clinic.
First, an obstetric ultrasound was performed on all participants with the same
ultrasound device and the same clinician. Then, Doppler measurements of the
ophthalmic artery of both eyes were made by the same clinician using the linear
probe of the same ultrasound. Both groups were compared in terms of the first
peak of systolic velocity (PSV), second PSV, pulsatility index (PI), PSV ratio,
end-diastolic velocity (EDV), resistance index (RI), and systolic/diastolic
ratio (S/D) measurements of the ophthalmic artery.
Results The first PSV, second PSV, PSV ratio, and EDV were significantly
higher in the preeclampsia group than in the control group (p=0.001, p<0.001,
p=0.019, p<0.001, respectively). According to the receiver operating
characteristic analysis, the second PSV with a cut-off value of 43.75 cm/s was
the most powerful ophthalmic artery Doppler parameter in detecting preeclampsia
with 63% sensitivity and 63% specificity. No significant difference was found
between the early and late onset or mild and severe preeclampsia groups in terms
of ophthalmic artery Doppler parameters.
Conclusion Although the number of participants was too small to draw a
definitive conclusion, the second PSV seems to be the most powerful parameter
for the detection of preeclampsia. Studies with larger series are needed to
determine the usability of ophthalmic artery Doppler parameters in the routine
clinical diagnosis of preeclampsia and follow-up of the disease.