[Twin pregnancy and preeclampsia].

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Perinatology
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Background:

• Preeclampsia is a serious pregnancy disorder impacting maternal and fetal health.
• The exact causes and effective treatments for preeclampsia remain largely unknown.
• It is a significant contributor to maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality worldwide.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of preeclampsia in twin pregnancies.
• To compare clinical characteristics between preeclamptic and non-preeclamptic twin pregnancies.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis was conducted on 194 normotensive and 25 preeclamptic patients with twin pregnancies.
• Data were collected from Lublin State Hospital Nr 4 between 1992 and 1997.
• Patients were matched for gravidity, parity, maternal age, and specific biochemical markers.

Main Results:

• Preeclampsia was observed in approximately 10% of twin pregnancies studied.
• Nulliparous women experienced preeclampsia at twice the rate of multiparous women (68% vs. 32%).
• Preeclamptic patients exhibited significantly higher serum uric acid levels compared to non-preeclamptic controls (6.7 +/- 0.3 vs. 4.3 +/- 0.1; p < 0.001).
• Hypertension, proteinuria, and edema were present concurrently in 52% of preeclamptic cases.

Conclusions:

• Preeclampsia complicates roughly one-tenth of all twin pregnancies.
• Nulliparity is a significant risk factor, with preeclampsia occurring twice as frequently in these women.
• Elevated serum uric acid levels are a key indicator associated with preeclampsia in twin pregnancies.