SAFETY OF FLUORESCEIN ANGIOGRAPHY DURING PREGNANCY

We sent 424 retina specialists questionnaires on fluorescein angiography performed on pregnant women; 399 specialists responded. Of these, 309 (77%) had never performed fluorescein angiography on a pregnant woman. Ninety specialists (23%) had performed at least one fluorescein angiogram on a pregnant woman; detailed information was obtained on 105 patients. Authors of previous reports that included fluorescein angiography during pregnancy provided information about an additional 11 patients. Substantiated side effects were nausea or vomiting in seven patients. Anomalies at birth, an undescended testicle and syndactyly, were reported in two children. There was one stillbirth with pathologic findings classic for toxemia, and one fetal death occurred several months after fluorescein angiography. One therapeutic abortion was performed for complications in toxemia. One spontaneous abortion occurred three days after fluorescein angiography in a patient who was four weeks pregnant. Eight children born to toxemic mothers had low birth weights. We conclude that fluorescein angiography does not cause a high rate of birth anomalies or complications during pregnancy.