Changes in Opthalmic Artery Doppler Velocimetry in Women with Preeclampsia in Kano, Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are among the most serious complications of pregnancy and represent important contributors to maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Preeclampsia (PE)–eclampsia syndrome is the most important hypertensive gestational condition. Maternal ophthalmic artery Doppler velocimetry enables the identification of pregnant women with increased cerebral blood flow who are at risk of developing severe PE and eclampsia. Hence the need to determine the changes in ophthalmic artery Doppler velocimetric indices in PE in Kano, Nigeria becomes paramount. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-six patients with the clinical diagnosis of PE and 96 normotensive pregnant controls between 20 and 40 weeks’ gestational age were recruited for this study. Ophthalmic artery Doppler velocimetric indices of the two groups were measured and documented. RESULTS: The mean velocimetric measurements in the control group were as follows: peak systolic velocity (PSV) = 38.04 ± 13.68 cm/s, End-diastolic volume (EDV) =9.14 ± 3.65 cm/s, resistivity index (RI) = 0.75 ± 0.091, pulsatility index (PI) =1.62 ± 0.55, peak mesodiastolic velocity (PMDV) = 21.02 ± 8.83 cm/s, peak ratio (PR) = 0.56 ± 0.14. The mean velocimetric indices in the PE group were PSV = 44.59 ± 11.54 cm/s, EDV = 12.23 ± 2.66 cm/s, RI = 0.71 ± 0.069, PI = 1.67 ± 0.42, PMDV = 32.27 ± 9.12 and PR = 0.72 ± 0.10. CONCLUSION: There is a significant difference in the ophthalmic artery Doppler velocimetric indices between women with PE and normal pregnant women. Ophthalmic artery Doppler ultrasound is a useful tool in monitoring the hemodynamic changes in cerebral circulation in PE.