Atypical preeclampsia and eclampsia: report of four cases and review of the literature

Abstract

Classically, most women who develop preeclampsia (hypertension and proteinuria) present some time after 20 weeks of gestation up to 48 h postpartum; and this is especially true in otherwise healthy, nulliparous pregnancies. Recent data suggest that in some women, preeclampsia and even eclampsia may develop in the absence of hypertension or proteinuria. Here, we report four atypical cases: eclampsia in the absence of hypertension and proteinuria (case 1), a partial seizure following eclampsia with antecedent proteinuria, but no hypertension (case 2), a case presenting with fetal distress, but no hypertension (case 3), and a case with unusually rapid progression and massive proteinuria that was unresponsive to therapy (case 4). Problems with atypical forms of eclampsia lie in its unpredictable onset; timely diagnosis and management are critical in avoiding complications. The purpose of this review is to increase the awareness of atypical forms of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy.