The eye and visual system in the preeclampsia/eclampsia syndrome: What to expect?

Abstract

The preeclampsia/eclampsia syndrome is a multisystem disorder that can include cardiovascular changes, hematologic abnormalities, hepatic and renal impairment, and neurologic or cerebral manifestations. It also can affect the eye and visual pathways. Visual symptoms concern up to 25% of patients with severe preeclampsia and 50% of patients with eclampsia. This review discusses the ophthalmic complications of preeclampsia/eclampsia with focus on the hypertensive retinopathy, exudative retinal detachment and cortical blindness.

Association between ophthalmoscopic changes and obstetric outcomes in pre-eclampsia and eclampsia

“…Abu Samara K concluded that the most common finding was severe arteriolar vasospasm. 5 In our study also, we found that the most common ophthalmoscopic finding was segmental narrowing of retinal arterioles (69.39%). In the literature, many cases of retinal detachments were described, most of which subsided after delivery of the baby and control of blood pressure.…”

“…9 Abu Samara K mentioned that 25% of women with preeclampsia may have visual symptom and in ophthalmoscopy 50% of the women may have abnormalities. 5 Similarly, in our study, out of the 200 cases 127 women had no visual symptoms whereas 98 women had fundoscopic abnormalities. Thus, it is worthy to note that even without any visual symptoms, retinal changes may be present, which may carry adverse prognosis from obstetric point of view.…”

“…The retinal vascular changes are present in 30-100% of preeclampsia cases, the most frequent being the vasoconstriction of the retinal arterioles. 4,5 The exudative retinal detachment is a rare cause (under 1%) of visual loss in the preeclampsiaeclampsia syndrome, being produced by the involvement of the choroidal vascularization. 4 Retinal infarction or ischemia (Purtscher retinopathy) may lead to sudden onset blindness.…”

A study of prevalence and association of fundus changes in pregnancy induced hypertension

“…12,13 In pregnancy induced hypertension, the various pathological changes in different organs of the body can be studied directly visualizing the ocular fundus and may give a true index of changes in vascular system of brain and retina. 14 In the present study over a period of two years 423 cases of PIH patients were studied among hypertensive retinopathy changes were noted in 181 cases (42.8%; 95% CI: 38.2 -47.5) ( Table 2). Similar studies conducted elsewhere showed that the prevalence of retinopathy in PIH patients ranges from 38.46%, 45%, 58%, 59% to 60%.…”

Temporary Visual Loss and Persistant Concentric Visual Field Defect in A Preeclampsia Case

“…Preeklampside gözlenen maternal klinik semptomların nedeni sistemik endotel disfonksiyonudur. 5,6 Preeklampsi Olgusunda Geçici Görme Azlığı ve Persistan Konsantrik Görme Alanı Defekti Ö ÖZ ZE ET T Preeklampsi gebelerin %3-5'ini etkileyen, gebeliğin ikinci yarısında ortaya çıkan hipertansiyon, proteinüri ve son-organ tutulumu ile karakterize olan klinik bir sendromdur. Preeklampside görme azlığı oksipital korteks ya da retina tutulumuna bağlı ortaya çıkabilmektedir.…”