Ophthalmic artery Doppler in the prediction of preeclampsia

The ophthalmic artery is an easily accessible vessel for Doppler assessment that provides information on the less accessible intracranial circulation. In women with preeclampsia, compared with normotensive pregnant women, there is a decrease in impedance to flow and an increase in velocities in the flow velocity waveforms from the ophthalmic arteries. This study aimed to report the methodology for ophthalmic artery Doppler and summarize findings from the clinical implementation of such assessment in the prediction of preeclampsia. The Embase and MEDLINE were searched from inception to November 2020 to identify studies reporting on the use of ophthalmic artery Doppler in the prediction of preeclampsia. Of note, 2 small studies in high-risk pregnancies, one at 11 to 14 weeks' gestation and another at 20 to 28 weeks' gestation, reported differences between women who developed preeclampsia, compared with unaffected pregnancies, in ophthalmic artery Doppler and suggested that this is a useful biomarker for screening for preeclampsia. Another small study in high-risk pregnancies at 18 to 23 weeks' gestation reported that there was no marked difference in ophthalmic artery Doppler indices between the preeclampsia and unaffected groups. In addition, 2 recent, large observational studies in unselected pregnancies at 19 to 23 and 35 to 37 weeks' gestation, respectively, reported that, first, it is necessary to record waveforms from both eyes to get reproducible results; second, the waveform from the ophthalmic arteries is characterized by 2 systolic peaks and the ratio of the second to the first peak systolic velocity was increased in women who developed preeclampsia; third, in the study at 19 to 23 weeks' gestation, the peak systolic velocity ratio was superior to the uterine artery pulsatility index, mean arterial pressure, serum placental growth factor, and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 as individual biomarkers in the prediction of both preterm and term preeclampsia and the peak systolic velocity ratio improved the prediction of preeclampsia provided by all the other biomarkers; and fourth, in the study at 35 to 37 weeks' gestation, the peak systolic velocity ratio improved the prediction of subsequent development of preeclampsia provided by maternal factors alone and combinations of maternal factors with mean arterial pressure, uterine artery pulsatility index, placental growth factor, and serum placental growth factor. The ophthalmic artery Doppler provides a useful biomarker for the prediction of preeclampsia.