PURPOSE: to evaluate ophthalmic and retinal central artery Doppler indices during the second and third trimesters of normal pregnancy and to compare the right with left eye Doppler indices of normotensive women. METHODS: a cross-sectional study which evaluated central retinal and ophthalmic artery Doppler velocimetry values of 51 normal pregnant women, in the 20th to 38th week of gestation. The following values were analyzed: pulsatility and resistance indexes (PI, RI), peak systolic and end-diastolic flow velocity (PSV, EDFV) and peak velocity ratio (PVR). The Doppler indices in the right and left eyes were studied by the median. The paired Student's t test was used to confront the right and left eye values and the Pearson linear correlation analysis was performed to study the value changes throughout the gestation, with the level of significance set at 5%. RESULTS: Doppler velocimetry indices of ophthalmic and central retinal arteries (median values) were, respectively: PI=1.83; RI=0.78; PSV=34.20; EDFV=6.80; PVR=0.48 and PI=1.34; RI=0.70; PSV=7.40; EDFV=2.10. There was no significant difference between the right and left side Doppler values. Linear correlation analysis showed no association between the arterial values and pregnancy age. CONCLUSION: the unilateral analysis of ophthalmic and central retinal artery Doppler velocimetry values can be used in systemic maternal disease. There is no significant change in ophthalmic and central retinal artery Doppler velocimetry values throughout normal pregnancy.
Ophthalmic artery; Blood flow velocity; Retinial artery; Laser-doppler fluxometry; Pregnancy
