[Transient cortical blindness in EPH gestosis caused by cerebral vasospasm].
The pathogenesis of cortical blindness as a rare complication in severe preeclampsia is still unclear. The case of a women with postpartum blindness is reported in which CT and MRI initially showed cortical and subcortical edema in the parieto-occipital lobes. At this time cerebral angiography and transcranial color-coded sonography (TCCS) revealed widespread cerebral vasospasm. Mean blood flow velocities in the middle and posterior cerebral artery and carotid syphon initially reached 380 cm/s and normalized within 2 weeks. While the patient's vision improved rapidly, follow-up MRI disclosed ischemic lesions and petechial hemorrhage in the occipital cortex. This case provides rare documentation that transient blindness in patients with preeclampsia may result from parieto-occipital ischemia due to cerebral vasospasm. In such patients TCCS may be useful to detect vasospasm associated with preeclampsia/eclampsia.
Niehaus
L
L
Neurologische Klinik und Poliklinik, Berlin.
Meyer
B U
BU
Hoffmann
K T
KT
D000328:Adult; D020757:Amaurosis Fugax / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D019575:Blindness, Cortical / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial; D020301:Vasospasm, Intracranial / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis