Choroidal thickening and macular serous retinal detachment in pregnancy-induced hypertension

The purpose of this study was to report optical coherence tomography (OCT) and angiographic findings in a patient with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH).

A 39-year-old woman, who was diagnosed with PIH, reported blurred and distorted vision at 5 days after an emergency cesarean delivery. OCT revealed a large serous retinal detachment (SRD) that included areas in the macula, along with an increased choroidal thickness noted in both eyes. Indocyanine green angiograms indicated delayed filling of the choroidal circulation in the early phase but choroidal hyperpermeability in the mid-phase. The SRD was gradually resolving without any treatment except for antihypertensive drugs. At 40 days after the initial examination, OCT revealed both the disappearance of the SRD and marked improvement of the choroidal thickening.

Ophthalmologists need to be aware that PIH can cause choroidal ischemia, a breakdown of the outer blood-retinal barrier, and lead to the development of SRD.