Particularities of Myopia in Pregnancy
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review pp. 196-199 (2013) Particularities of myopia in pregnancy 1 George Iancu , Abstract Valeria Coviltir2, Raluca Iancu3, Although ocular conditions are commonly encountered in pregnancy, their management in pregnancy and during Catalina Corbu4 labor is still debate. Our review synthesizes the existing evidence on pregnancy and labor impact on visual outcome in myopic patients. We aimed to evaluate the changes in ocular physiology during pregnancy, the characteristics 1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, of myopia in pregnant population, the impact of epidural anesthesia and mode of delivery on myopia progression. University of Medicine High hormonal levels of pregnancy change corneal thickness and curvature, decrease sensitivity and and Pharmacy “Carol Davila” reduce intraocular pressure. The existing evidence for ocular changes with pregnancy and expulsive and Filantropia Clinical Hospital effort in labor is rather poor. Myopic patients did not develop worsening of visual function after Bucharest (Romania) spontaneous vaginal delivery in any of the existing studies. Epidural anesthesia should be offered 2. Department of Ophthalmology, unrelated to ocular condition. Until further evidence will become available, vaginal delivery should be University of Medicine and Pharmacy the standard for patients with ocular conditions in the absence of obstetrical contraindications. “Carol Davila” Keywords: myopia, labor, hormonal level, vaginal delivery Bucharest (Romania) 3. Department of Ophthalmology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila” and Emergency Introduction commonly related to connective tissue and retinal University Hospital Bucharest (Romania) Major changes take place in the maternal body du- abnormalities. This type of myopia accounts only of 4. Department of Ophthalmology, ring pregnancy and delivery. Some of these changes a small proportion of the overall myopic population University of Medicine are physiological, well tolerated and totally reversible and, to date, there is no known isolated gene asso- and Pharmacy “Carol Davila” a few months postpartum, while others can have a ciated with physiologic myopia(2). Bucharest (Romania) major impact on maternal body. Systemic changes There is also a high incidence of complications Correspondence: Dr. Valeria Coviltir, that occur in pregnancy can influence the visual associated with pathological myopia which were e-mail: valeriacoviltir@ yahoo.com function. Some changes are reversible while others presumed to increase further more during pregnancy can cause permanent vision loss. One of the pre- and labor. The retinal complications of high myopia All authors contributed equally to conceiving existing ocular disorders altered by the pregnancy, leading to blindness are: retinal detachment, degene- the review, data collection, manuscript writing under debate for a long time, is myopia, a common ration of the retina at the macula, bleeding behind the and editing and approval of the final version. pathology in pregnancy. Myopia is a well known retina, due to formation of a choroidal neovascular problem worldwide, with large global variation in membrane, formation of a macula hole. Patients prevalence and increasing frequency and severity with high myopia (spherical equivalent at least -6.0 throughout the world. Its magnitude is still not D) are more susceptible to ocular abnormalities. The completely known(1). prevalence of glaucoma was higher in myopic adults, Non-pathological myopia is commonly referred to and the risks of chorioretinal abnormalities such as physiological, simple or school myopia. In non- as retinal detachment, chorioretinal atrophy and pathologic myopia, the refractive structures of the lacquer cracks increased with the severity of myopia eye develop within normal limits; however, the re- and greater axial length. Myopic adults were more fractive power of the eye does not correlate with the likely to have tilted, rotated, and larger discs as well axial length. The degree of non-pathologic myopia as other optic disc abnormalities(3). is usually minimal to moderate (< 6.00 diopters) During the pregnancy, hormone secretion repre- with onset usually during childhood or adolescence. sents the main cause that will occur and will reach Pathologic myopia is generally classified as high the peak during labor and delivery. The estrogen, myopic refractive error that is progressive and ge- progesterone, somatostatine, deoxycorticosterone, nerally presents very early in childhood. Pathologic corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG), cortisol, free myopia is usually defined as spherical equivalent > cortisole, thyroxine, triiodothyronine and aldost- 6.00 diopters or axial length > 26.5 mm. Patients erone levels are higher than in non-pregnant wo- with high axial myopia are at greater risk of develo- men. Hormones level will reach their pre-pregnancy ping progressive retinal degeneration or other vision values a few months after breastfeeding has been threatening pathology(2). stopped(4). It is well documented that pathological high myopia The aim of the present review is to evaluate the Received: May 17, 2013 shows evidence of familial inheritance. High myopia changes in ocular physiology during pregnancy, the Revised: is also a symptom of several multi-system diseases. characteristics of myopia in pregnant women and the July 24, 2013 Accepted: The genetic mutations have been identified and the impact of epidural anesthesia and mode of delivery August 04, 2013 subsequent structural defects of the eye are most on myopia progression. 196 +(ċƫĊƫđƫ+ċƫăąƫĨąĥĂĀāăĩ Iancu et al. Particularities of myopia in pregnancy gineco eu Impact of pregnancy on ocular physiology months after delivery(8). The general consensus is that The effect of pregnancy on eye function has been myopic shift is caused by the increased curvature of extensively studied. Corneal changes are most likely the lens, while the refractive changes develop due due to water retention and include a decrease in to changes in corneal curvature or thickness and/or corneal sensitivity and an increase in both corneal tear film(4). thickness and curvature. Therefore, despite previo- Several studies prove that refraction disorders usly effective use of contact lenses, many patients triggered by pregnancy are marked by myopization, find difficult to manage them during pregnancy. usually not very significant and always regressive It is best to delay fitting new contact lenses until within six weeks after childbirth(9). According to those several weeks postpartum. Corneal changes occur studies, there is a tendency towards worsening of the usually late in pregnancy and may produce tempo- refractive function in the first half of pregnancy in rary alterations in refraction, making pregnancy a women with refractive disorder history(7). contraindication for refractive eye surgery. This is Refractive surgery during pregnancy is questio- mostly due to the fact that results of refractive eye nable due to temporary changes in ocular anatomy. surgery shortly before, during or after pregnancy A study on refractive changes after photorefractive cannot be predicted adequately. It is recommended keratectomy in pregnant patients revealed the im- to delay surgery and wait until refraction is stable in pact of pregnancy on corneal wound healing after the postpartum period. Pregnancy may also induce photorefractive keratectomy. 18 eyes were analyzed dry-eye syndrome due to disruption of lachrymal in women that became pregnant during follow-up acinary cells(5). period after keratectomy. During the postpartum The second half of the pregnancy is associated period, there was an improvement in 50% of the eyes, with moderate decrease of intraocular pressure in with reduction of the corneal haze and associated normal eyes, which may be even greater in patients myopic regression(10). with preexisting ocular hypertension. This occurs due to increased aqueous outflow, decreased epis- Natural vaginal delivery or cesarean section cleral venous pressure, decreased scleral rigidity and for myopic women? generalized acidosis during pregnancy. Intraocular Ocular pathology has been considered for a long pressure typically returns to pre-pregnancy levels time important for the decision regarding the mode by two months postpartum(6). of delivery. Myopia and other risk factors for retinal A hormonally mediated increase in pigmentation detachment were frequently used as indication for around the eyes and cheeks is common and is called cesarean section in the past; it was thought that in- chloasma or ‘mask of pregnancy’. Benign spider angi- creased effort, mainly in the second stage of labor, omas commonly develop on the face and upper body. would augment the risks of retinal detachment. These changes usually resolve postpartum. Ptosis, The indication for cesarean delivery was usually the often unilateral, occurs during or after pregnancy attribute of the ophthalmologist. probably as a result of defects in the levator apone- Most of the studies arise from Eastern Europe, urosis caused by fluid, hormonal, and stress-related where the large amount of cesarean sections for changes of labor and delivery(7). ophthalmic pathology has been considered a public health problem. One study from Poland retrospecti- Particularities of myopia in pregnant women vely analyzed the prevalence of cesarean section for During pregnancy a shift towards myopia or an in- ophthalmic conditions between 2000 and 2008. The crease of myopia usually develops. This shift, however,