MR-tomografische Veränderungen bei Präeklampsie und Eklampsie

BACKGROUND: Pre-eclampsia affects 2% of pregnancies. This multisystem disorder is a major cause of maternal, foetal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. Neurological manifestations of eclampsia are headache, nausea, vomiting, cortical blindness and recurrent seizures. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the neurological symptoms correlate with MR imaging findings. RESULTS: In a patient with eclamptic seizure and another one with blindness due to pre-eclampsia, the white matter hyperintensities on T 2 -weighted MR and FLAIRsequence images could be demonstrated in the occipital region and in the basal ganglia. Within 3-5 days all neurological symptoms and radiological abnormalities had resolved. CONCLUSION: These cerebral lesions could be classified as posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) or as reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome (PLES). Thus, MRI supports differential diagnosis regarding non pregnancy-related cerebral disease and can be helpful for therapy planning in cases of pre-eclampsia.