MATERIALS AND METHODS: This observational study was conducted on attendants who accompanied patients (n = 400) visiting various outpatient departments of the General Hospital and two peripheral clinics in Melaka between August and October 2007. The participants answered a questionnaire (Malay and English versions) which included demographic profile, awareness of eye donation, knowledge regarding facts of eye donation, and willingness to donate eyes. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed at 5% level of significance.
RESULTS: Awareness of eye donation was observed in 276 (69%) participants. Multivariate analysis showed that awareness was more among females when compared to males (P = 0.009). Of the 276 participants who were aware of eye donation, only 34.42% were willing to donate eyes. Willingness was more among the Indian race (P = 0.02) and males (P = 0.02). Educational status did not influence the willingness to donate eyes.
CONCLUSIONS: Although majority of participants were aware of eye donation, willingness to donate eyes was poor.
PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to compare SFCT in PE, normal pregnant, and nonpregnant women using spectral domain optical coherence tomography and to correlate SFCT with severity of pre-eclampsia.
METHODS: A cross-sectional, observational study was performed. A total of 150 participants were divided into three groups: group 1 (50 PE women), group 2 (50 normal pregnant women), and group 3 (50 nonpregnant healthy women). Subfoveal choroidal thickness was measured using spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Other parameters including mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), central corneal thickness, macular thickness, IOP, ocular perfusion pressure (OPP), and urine protein-to-creatinine ratio were also measured. ANOVA and Pearson correlation analysis were used to look at differences between the groups. P < .05 was considered as statistically significant.
RESULTS: The MABP was higher in group 1 than in groups 2 and 3 (103.0 ± 12.9 vs. 83.2 ± 9.8 vs. 89.5 ± 7.2 mmHg, respectively; all P < .001). The SFCT of the PE group was higher than in groups 2 and 3 (370.7 ± 23.8 vs. 344.5 ± 30.8 vs. 315.8 ± 49.9 μm, respectively; all P < .001). There were no statistically significant differences in central corneal thickness, macular thickness, or IOP between the PE and healthy pregnant groups (all P > .05). The OPP was greater in PE patients (52.8 ± 8.5 vs. 41.9 ± 6.9 vs. 43.4 ± 5.2 mmHg, respectively; both P < .001). The SFCT was positively correlated with MABP (r = 0.464, P < .001), OPP (r = 0.495, P < .001), and urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (r = 0.635, P < .001) in the PE group.
CONCLUSIONS: Subfoveal choroidal thickness is higher in pre-eclampsia and is proportional to established markers of severity of the condition. This parameter might serve as a novel predictive marker for the severity of pre-eclampsia.