Abstract

HERNANDEZ BAGUER, Raisa de la Asunción et al. Retinitis pigmentosa and pregnancy. Rev Cubana Obstet Ginecol [online]. 2013, vol.39, n.2, pp. 107-119. ISSN 0138-600X.

Introduction: retinitis pigmentosa is a group of degenerative diseases of genetic origin and hereditary cause which results in important visual disability. Objective: to assess eye acuity and visual field changes in retinitis pigmentosa women during and after pregnancy. Methods: a descriptive, prospective, longitudinal study was conducted at the National Reference Center of Retinitis Pigmentosa in Havana (1999-2011). Acuity and visual field were evaluated in six stages for 21 months since recruitment. The quantitative values of these parameters were taken using visual standards of the American Medical Association. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS version 11.5, with a significance level of 0.01 and confidence interval of 95% for the consideration of mean, standard deviation and frequency as a measure of summary. Results: 59 women were studied with a mean age of 27.11 years (SD 6.7), different types of inheritance of retinitis pigmentosa and variable number of pregnancies. 24 were pregnant (40.7 %) had autosomal-recessive and 18 (30.5 %) no definite inheritance. During pregnancy, 36 (61.0 %) worsened visual acuity and 47 (79.7 %) decreased the visual field that was most remarkable from the 3rd. quarter. At the end of the study, 50 pregnant women (84.7 %) deteriorated visual function, especially those with autosomal recessive inheritance and multigravidae. Conclusions: there were irreversible changes in visual acuity and field during and even after pregnancy in women with retinitis pigmentosa. Pregnancy has negatively affected moderately visual function and evolution of retinitis pigmentosa.

Keywords : retinitis pigmentosa; night blindness; pregnancy; visual acuity; visual field; visual efficiency.

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