Influence of pregnancy on the evolution of background retinopathy. Preliminary results of a prospective fluorescein angiography study.

Previous reports have suggested that pregnancy does not influence the development of diabetic retinopathy. Since 1979 a prospective study using fluorescein angiography has been in progress. Preliminary results include 22 diabetic women with or without moderate background retinopathy studied until delivery. They were maintained under good metabolic control (mean HbA1: 7.68%). Five clinical and fluorescein angiography examinations were performed at prefixed intervals (before the 15th week, at the 28th and 35th weeks of pregnancy, and 6 and 15 months after delivery). The analysis of fluorescein angiography which did not induce any side effect showed that the mean number of microaneurysms increased from 42.7 before pregnancy to 56.7 at the 28th week and to 79.7 at the 35th week. Six months later the number was 62.7, and 15 months later 60.3, still higher than at the initial examination. This study suggests that pregnancy has an unfavourable influence on the background retinopathy in diabetic patients even when a good metabolic control is achieved and retinopathy is minimal.