Ranjkesh Mahnaz, Khalafi Mohammad, Salehi Vahid, Abdi Shahab, Karbasi Mahsa, Gharepapagh Esmaeil
Department of Radiology Medical School, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences Tabriz Iran.
Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences Johns Hopkins Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA.
Australas J Ultrasound Med. 2025 Jun 29;28(3):e70016. doi: 10.1002/ajum.70016. eCollection 2025 Aug.
The condition known as pre-eclampsia (PE) is characterised by hemodynamic changes that can impact the ophthalmic artery, a branch of the internal carotid artery. In this study, we aimed to compare the ophthalmic artery resistance in pregnant participants with PE to those with normal blood pressure.
In this cross sectional study, the hemodynamic changes of the maternal ophthalmic artery were analysed using spectral Doppler ultrasound. The research included 50 normotensive pregnant participants matched for gestational age with 50 pregnant participants with PE. The study measured peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), S/D ratio, Resistance Index (RI) and Pulsatility Index (PI) to determine any differences between the two groups.
A comparison of PSV parameters in two groups did not reveal any statistically significant difference ( > 0.05). However, Doppler findings were significantly lower for pregnant participants with PE than those with normal blood pressure in terms of RI ( = 0.008), PI ( < 0.001) and S/D ratio ( = 0.002). Conversely, EDV was higher for pregnant participants with PE ( = 0.032).
This study found significant differences in the ophthalmic artery Doppler indices between pregnant participants with PE and those with normal blood pressure. Specifically, lower RI, PI and S/D ratio, as well as a higher EDV, were observed in the PE group. These findings suggest altered blood flow dynamics in PE. Clinically, spectral Doppler ultrasound of the ophthalmic artery could be a useful, non-invasive tool for detecting and monitoring haemodynamic changes in PE. Given its accessibility and repeatability, it could help identify PE earlier, especially in settings where more advanced diagnostic tools are unavailable.
子痫前期(PE)的特征是血流动力学变化,这可能会影响颈内动脉的分支眼动脉。在本研究中,我们旨在比较患有PE的孕妇与血压正常的孕妇的眼动脉阻力。
在这项横断面研究中,使用频谱多普勒超声分析孕妇眼动脉的血流动力学变化。该研究纳入了50名血压正常的孕妇,她们在孕周上与50名患有PE的孕妇相匹配。该研究测量了收缩期峰值流速(PSV)、舒张末期流速(EDV)、S/D比值、阻力指数(RI)和搏动指数(PI),以确定两组之间的任何差异。
两组PSV参数的比较未发现任何统计学上的显著差异(>0.05)。然而,在RI(=0.008)、PI(<0.001)和S/D比值(=0.002)方面,患有PE的孕妇的多普勒检查结果明显低于血压正常的孕妇。相反,患有PE的孕妇的EDV较高(=0.032)。
本研究发现患有PE的孕妇与血压正常的孕妇在眼动脉多普勒指数上存在显著差异。具体而言,PE组的RI、PI和S/D比值较低,而EDV较高。这些发现表明PE患者的血流动力学发生了改变。临床上,眼动脉频谱多普勒超声可能是一种有用的非侵入性工具,用于检测和监测PE患者的血流动力学变化。鉴于其可及性和可重复性,它可以帮助更早地识别PE,特别是在无法获得更先进诊断工具的情况下。