Changes in choroidal circulation and pulse waveform in a case of pregnancy-induced hypertension with serous retinal...

We aimed to examine the changes in choroidal blood flow (CBF), choroidal pulse waveform, and central choroidal thickness (CCT) in a case of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) using laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG) and enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) before and after treatment with antihypertensive drugs.

A 24-year-old Japanese woman diagnosed with PIH presented with complaints of worsening and blurred vision in the right eye. Funduscopic findings at the initial visit showed serous retinal detachment (SRD), retinal hemorrhage, and arterial tortuosity. The LSFG color map showed a warm color. Macular mean blur rate (MBR), which is an index of relative blood flow velocity, in both eyes was high, along with choroidal thickening. Blowout time (BOT), which indicates the rate of time in which the MBR is greater than half the amplitude during one heartbeat, was low and acceleration time index (ATI), which represents the time-to-peak of MBR, was high. Several weeks after treatment with antihypertensive drugs, the CBF and ATI gradually decreased with regression of the SRD and thinning of the CCT. On the other hand, BOT gradually increased after treatment, showing a significant decrease in vascular resistance. Ocular perfusion pressure decreased after treatment because of the reduction in blood pressure.

LSFG might reveal choroidal overperfusion and increased vascular resistance, along with SRD and choroidal thickening, in a patient with PIH with reversal after treatment with antihypertensive drugs. These findings demonstrate the importance of evaluation of ocular blood flow and vascular resistance in women with PIH in order to routinely assess the clinical and systemic condition.