Hypertensive retinopathy and pre-eclampsia

The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between hypertensive retinopathy and the severity of pre-eclampsia. Forty women with pre-eclamp sia, mean age 29.1 (+/-7.4; range, 19-44) years, were retrospectively analy zed. They were treated at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of th e Clinical Hospital Split, from January 1997 to December 1999. The mean age of gestation was 36.0 +/-2.8 weeks (range, 28-39). Pre-eclampsia was class ified according to Goecke. Based on the ophthalmoscopic fundus examinations the patients were divided into four groups, according to Keith-Wagner clas sification system of grading retinal changes. Of 40 analyzed women, 18 (45% ) had ophthalmologically verified hypertensive retinopathy. Ten of them wer e classified as grade I, six as grade II and two as grade III. Twenty-two p atients had mild preeclampsia, ten patients had moderate pre-eclampsia, and eight patients had severe preeclampsia. A statistically significant correl ation (t-test) was found between the degree of hypertensive retinopathy and patient age, Apgar score, trophism, Goecke's index, proteinuria, systolic and diastolic pressure (P < 0.001) and edema (P = 0.01). The degree of hype rtensive retinopathy was directly proportional with the severity of pre-ecl ampsia and significant correlation was found between them (r = 0.338, p = 0 .033). These findings showed that the degree of hypertensive retinopathy in women with pre-eclampsia is a valid and reliable prognostic factor in dete rmining the severity of the pre-eclampsia. Therefore, it can be concluded t hat the examination of the fundus is a valuable and necessary diagnostic pr ocedure in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia.