Mean PSV Ratio of Ophthalmic Artery is A Better Marker for Preeclampsia Prediction: A Cross-Sectional Analytic Study in Indian Pregnant Women

Objective: Study the changes in mean PSV ratio of ophthalmic artery with rise in mean arterial blood pressure and its comparison with changes in mean PI of uterine artery with rise in mean arterial blood pressure, in pregnant Indian women. The role of the ophthalmic artery means PSV ratio in the detection of pre-eclampsia. Method: It is a cross-sectional analytic study. Preeclampsia may affect ophthalmic artery circulation with consequent neuro-ophthalmic manifestations. 170 patients, irrespective of parity, between the ages of 21 to 35 years included in this study. Patients in each trimester were included. Changes in the Mean PSV ratio of the ophthalmic artery recorded in both eyes, and its correlation with changes in mean arterial blood pressure, were noted. Doppler changes in the mean PI of the uterine artery with a change in mean arterial blood pressure were recorded. Then we compare the changes in mean PSV ratio of the ophthalmic artery with changes in mean PI of the uterine artery in each trimester patient. Ophthalmic artery Doppler study is done with a 5 to 13 MHz multi frequency linear probe. Result: Independent t-test and Fisher’s exact test are used for analysis. The mean PSV ratio of ophthalmic arteries increases with an increase in mean arterial blood pressure. This change is directly proportional to the increase in mean arterial blood pressure in all trimesters. Changes in the mean PSV ratio of the ophthalmic artery with the rise in mean arterial blood pressure were consistent in all trimesters. The mean PSV ratio of 0.55 corresponds to an MABP of 100 mmHg. Changes in the mean PI of the uterine artery were not consistent with an increase in mean arterial BP in all trimesters. Conclusion: According to the results of this study mean PSV ratio of the ophthalmic artery is better than the mean uterine artery PI in the prediction of a rise in mean arterial blood pressure; p value is less than 0.05, and Pearson coefficient (r) is 0.402, suggestive of a linear relationship. We can think of the mean PSV ratio of the ophthalmic artery for screening of preeclampsia in the first trimester. The mean PSV ratio of the ophthalmic artery can replace the mean PI of the uterine artery in first-trimester PIH screening.