Material and methods: Retrospective study regarding 16 pregnant patients, with type 1 diabetes mellitus and variable retinal changes before the pregnancy: without retinal changes (5 cases), minimal diabetic retinopathy (7 cases), severe diabetic retinopathy (3 cases), proliferative diabetic retinopathy with panphotocoagulation before the pregnancy (1 case). The patients had a complete general and ocular investigation.
Results: The patients without retinal changes were not influenced by pregnancy; the patients with minimal changes presented an aggravation of the diabetic retinopathy with an amelioration post-partum in 3 from the 7 cases; the patients with severe diabetic retinopathy suffered an aggravation in 1 from the 3 cases; the patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy with panphotocoagulation before the pregnancy did not present any important changes during pregnancy.
Conclusions: The pregnancy represents a risk factor in the evolution of retinal changes in diabetic patients. The monitoring of the retinal changes and of the patients during the pregnancy is strongly recommended.
Neckell A., Munteanu M. Diabetus mellitus and pregnancy. Oftalmologia. 2009;53(3):118-22