Preeclampsia Preeclampsia is a multi-system disorder characterized by hypertension and proteinuria occurring after the twentieth week of pregnancy in a woman who previously had normal blood pressure. Swelling, sudden weight gain, headaches and changes in vision are the primary symptoms; however, some women with rapidly advancing disease report few symptoms. Preeclampsia can lead to eclampsia when there is hypertension and seizure. Currently, the only cure for preeclampsia is delivery of the fetus.1 Preeclampsia is estimated to affect 5-8% of all pregnancies.
Cause Although preeclampsia has been recognized for many years, its etiology is not fully understood. We know that the hypertension is caused by placental invasion of underlying blood vessels that cause high blood pressure, but the mechanism by which this occurs is not clear. This type of hypertension, eclamptic hypertension, is physiologically different than the much more common (but also illunderstood) essential hypertension.
Diagnosis Every patient is unique, but there are commonly two factors in the diagnosis of preeclampsia: hypertension and proteinuria (protein in the urine). In this context, hypertension is defined as systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg on two occasions at least 4 hours apart for 20 weeks of gestation in a previously normotensive patient, or if systolic blood pressure is ≥ 160 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure is ≥ 110 mmHg, confirmation within minutes is sufficient. Paired with the blood pressure measurements
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