EnglishPreeclampsia
Preeclampsia is a clinical syndrome that complicates 2 – 8% of pregnancies worldwide and is the leading cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity1. Today, preeclampsia is characterized by the presence of new onset hypertension and proteinuria. However, both of these diagnostic signs are non-specific, appear late in the disease, and can be indications of other conditions2. The pathophysiology of preeclampsia, leading to the appearance of these clinical signs, is caused by two stages; first, incomplete development of the placenta and, second, a maternal response to placental dysfunction. Preeclampsia can have a variable or sudden evolution which may require physicians to rule-in the diagnosis even in the absence of today’s diagnostic signs3. This challenge of defining and diagnosing preeclampsia has remained a source of debate for many decades, but the emergence of new biomarkers of placental function is paving the way to more accurately informed clinical management.
1. Steegers, E. et al. Pre-eclampsia. The Lancet. 1 July 2010.
2. Sibai et al. Pre-eclampsia. Lancet. 2005.
3. Barton. Mild gestational hypertension remote from term; progression and outcome. AJOG, 2001.