A Clinical Study of Serous Retinal Detachment in Pregnancy-induced Hypertension

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study was designed to determine the clinical progression of serous retinal detachment(RD) due to hypertensive choroidopathy in toxemia of pregnancy. METHODS: We diagnosed 437 preeclampsia and eclampsia patients in 9, 689 consecutive deliveries at the Chunchon Sacred Heart Hospital from January 1996 to December 2000, and found 35 cases of serous RD among them. We retrospectively studied the incidence, clinical characteristics of the patients, location, and shape of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) lesions. RESULTS: Among the 9, 689 pregnant women, there were 429 cases (4.4%) of preeclampsia and 8 (0.08%) of eclampsia. Serous RD occurred in 32 cases of preeclampsia (7.5%), and 3 of eclampsia (38%). In the preeclampsia cases, there were 26 cases (81%) of severe type, and 6 (19%) of mild type. The mean age of serous RD patients was 29.53yrs. Twenty-two cases (63%) in the 35 cases of serous RD were primipara patients, and 13 (37%) were multipara. Twenty-two cases (63%) in 35 the serous RD patients featured binocular involvement. Reattachment of retina was attained in all cases of serous RD, with a mean recovery interval of 18 days. CONCLUSIONS: Serous retinal detachment induced by toxemia of pregnancy can occur in mild preeclampsia patients. Reattachment of retina was attained in all serous RD cases. These study results will provide assurance for the treatment of serous retinal detachment patients.