[Clinical features of preeclampsia-eclampsia patients with reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical features and specific characteristics of magnetic resonance image (MRI) in preeclampsia-eclampsia patients with reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS).


METHODS
The investigators analyzed the combined clinical, laboratory and neuroradiographic features of 20 preeclampsia-eclampsia patients with RPLS and 15 preeclampsia-eclampsia controls with normal MRI findings.


RESULTS
Patients with RPLS had more tendency to have headache, seizure, visual disturbance, confusion and altered mental status than controls. Neuroimaging showed diffuse edema predominantly in posterior cerebral white matter bilaterally. Clinical features and neuroradiological alterations disappeared after appropriate treatments were started. Twenty RPLS patients had a significantly higher level of uric acid (442 +/- 77 mmol/L) than those without RPLS (350 +/- 88 mmol/L) (P < 0.05). However no difference was observed for other indices.


CONCLUSIONS
Preeclampsia-eclampsia patients with RPLS have typical clinical and imaging findings, and the syndrome is reversible with appropriate treatment. Perhaps endothelial damage is related to the pathogenesis of RPLS. Monitoring the level of uric acid in patients with preeclampsia-eclampsia is of vital significance to discover RPLS in an early stage.
Lu
Hong-yan
HY
Department of Neurology, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300052, China. hongyanlu1973@163.com
Xie
Bing-di
BD
Cheng
Yan
Y
Niu
Xiu-min
XM
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D054038:Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D055815:Young Adult