TOPLINE:
Changes to retinal blood vessels may be an indicator of development of preeclampsia, according to a poster presented at the 2024 meeting of the Society for Reproductive Investigation.
METHODOLOGY:
- Preeclampsia is a leading cause of maternal death and is associated with changes to the vasculature of the eyes, leading to symptoms such as blurred vision.
- Researchers took images of the eyes of 300 women who were pregnant and used an AI framework called Deep Vascular Topology Network (DVT-Net) to identify retinal changes that could indicate preeclampsia.
- Additionally, another group of 31 women with severe preeclampsia were analyzed after giving birth for vessel caliber and tortuosity.
TAKEAWAY:
- DVT-Net had an accuracy level of 0.813 (95% CI, 0.76-0.91) for early prediction of preeclampsia in the first and second trimesters.
- No significant difference in retinal vessel caliber was found between women with severe preeclampsia and a control group of 35 women without the condition.
- Postpartum women who had severe preeclampsia had higher levels of retinal artery tortuosity (median, 2; range, 1-3.5) than did women in the control group (median, 1; range, 1-4).
IN PRACTICE:
“In the postpartum period, tortuosity in the infero-temporal retinal artery emerges as a potential imaging marker for severe PE [preeclampsia]. These findings emphasize the utility of AI-driven retinal analysis and highlight the importance of specific retinal features in identifying and predicting pregnancy-related disorders.”
SOURCE:
The study was led by Srilaxmi Bearelly, MD, associate professor of ophthalmology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City.
LIMITATIONS:
The authors report no limitations.
DISCLOSURES:
The authors report no disclosures.
Rohit Malhotra is a medical expert and health journalist who offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being. His articles aim to help readers lead healthier lives.
