Ocular complications of pregnancy

Pregnancy is often associated with ocular changes, most often transient in nature, though occasionally permanent. It can be associated with development of new conditions, or can exacerbate pre-existing conditions. The ocular effects of pregnancy may be divided into physiologic changes, pathologic conditions or modifications of pre-existing conditions. Pathologic conditions include entities such as pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, along with conditions that are seen with increased frequency during pregnancy such as central serous retinopathy. The most significant modified pre-existing condition is diabetes mellitus. The various effects of pregnancy on the eye will be reviewed in this article. (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.