Features of magnetic resonance imaging brain in eclampsia: clinicoradiologic correlation

Abstract

Objective: Eclampsia is a gestational hypertensive condition that typically occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy and is characterized by hypertension, peripheral edema, proteinuria, and seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a vital role in the diagnosis and management of these patients, so it is essential to describe features of the brain MRI in these cases. Methods: MRI was performed on eleven consecutive patients with eclampsia. All patients underwent follow-up neurologic examinations until all symptoms resolved. Nine of those eleven patients underwent follow-up MRI. The clinical signs and symptoms were correlated with findings on initial and follow-up MRI. Results: MRI typically demonstrated bilateral hyperintense lesions on T2-weighted images and hypointense lesions on T1-weighted images without diffusion restriction. MRI abnormalities are most commonly located in the distribution of the posterior cerebral circulation mainly in occipital and parietal lobes, and are associated with visual disturbances and dizziness. Almost all lesions seen at MRI in patients with eclampsia were reversible in our series of patients. Conclusion: Involvement of the parietal and occipital lobes is common in patients with eclampsia, and the signal abnormalities on MRI are reversible if recognized and treated early.