Pre-eclampsia screening with maternal risk factors and ophthalmic Doppler artery: a systematic review.

Background: Pre-eclampsia (PE) affects 2-8% of pregnant women and is a major cause of maternal and perinatal complications. Early risk identification is critical to reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity.

Objective: This systematic review evaluates the role of ophthalmic Doppler arteries parameters, combined with maternal risk factors, physical examination results, and laboratory results for PE screening.

Methods: Relevant articles were identified from PubMed, Wiley Online Library, and ScienceDirect using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Articles were screened in two stages - primary extraction by title and abstract, followed by full-text evaluation. The final analysis included observational studies and randomized trials assessing PE prediction using ophthalmic Doppler artery indices.

Results: Of the 103 records screened, 24 articles were retrieved, and 7 met the eligibility criteria. All studies examined ophthalmic artery Doppler parameters - especially the peak systolic velocity (PSV) ratio - for PE screening across different gestational ages. The PSV ratio showed moderate-to-high predictive value when combined with established clinical biomarkers.

Conclusion: The ophthalmic Doppler artery is regarded as a viable alternative or combination for early detection of PE that is simple to implement and effective, particularly in healthcare facilities in developing countries. However, further large-scale, externally validated studies are needed to establish its clinical utility across different gestational stages.