Profound bilateral post-partum retinal circulation ischemia in two diabetic mothers with pre-eclampsia

PURPOSE: We report 2 cases of young diabetic mothers with pre-eclampsia and no previously documented visual deficits prior to pregnancy who were found to have profound retinal circulation loss during the postpartum period. OBSERVATIONS: Fluorescein angiogram in both cases documented profound ischemia of retinal and macular circulation with resulting severe vision loss, leading to legal blindness. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: While Pre-eclampsia and Eclampsia are well known clinical entities with potentially grave effects on both the mother and child, there is little information about the possible combined effects of diabetes and Pre-eclampsia/Eclampsia on the retinal circulation. We aim to raise awareness about this devastating association with a need for aggressive monitoring and prompt treatment of similar patients to potentially avoid poor visual outcomes.