Macular thickness measured by optical coherence tomography correlates with proteinuria in pre-eclampsia

ObjectivesPre-eclampsia is associated with ocular changes. The aim of this study was to examine the macular changes of patients with early-onset severe pre-eclampsia using optical coherence tomography (OCT).MethodsThis prospective study was performed at Tygerberg Academic Hospital, a secondary and tertiary referral centre in Cape Town, South Africa. Twenty women with early onset pre-eclampsia and 20 women without hypertensive or vascular complications, matched for gestational age, were examined before and after delivery.ResultsThere was a trend showing a positive correlation between increased central retinal thickness and increasing proteinuria in patients with pre-eclampsia antepartum (left eye r = 0.52, p = 0.04) and postpartum (left eye r = 0.60, p = 0.01). A positive correlation between average central 1 mm and proteinuria was noted antepartum (left eye r = 0.63, p = 0.01) and postpartum (right eye r = 0.52, p = 0.03). There were no significant correlations between blood pressure and any of the retinal parameters. Two of the 23 patients with pre-eclampsia developed serous retinal detachments, both of which resolved completely postpartum.ConclusionsMacular thickness parameters measured using OCT correlated with the degree of proteinuria in pre-eclampsia. These changes reversed soon after delivery.