Long-term fluctuation of retinal sensitivity during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the effect of pregnancy on the long-term fluctuation of retinal sensitivity in healthy women.

METHODS: Candidates for the study were healthy women who were likely to become pregnant. A complete ocular examination of both eyes was performed in 41 women, and 1 eye each was chosen at random for the study. This initial examination included 2 sets of visual field measurements consisting of 5 individual measures done at least a day apart. After pregnancy, ocular examinations were repeated once between 10 and 15 weeks of gestation and once between 29 and 34 weeks. The mean threshold sensitivity (MS) of the visual field and the coefficient of variation of MS measurements for upper temporal, upper nasal, lower temporal, and lower nasal quadrants were calculated in each series.

RESULTS: The visual field MS of the subjects increased significantly in the third trimester (p < 0.01). The coefficient of variation of the visual field MS measurements did not change significantly in the nasal quadrants. However, it decreased significantly in both upper and lower temporal quadrants.

INTERPRETATION: Visual field MS and the reproducibility of MS measurements for temporal visual field increased significantly in the third trimester of the pregnancy. Further studies on the role of pregnancy-related ocular hemodynamic changes may provide insight into the etiopathogenesis of hormone-related processes.