[Severe preeclampsia. Analysis of a case with fatal outcome]

We report a case of preeclampsia presenting initially as a moderate hypertension, and complicated over a ten-day period by eclampsia, retinal hemorrhage, cerebral and hepatic subcapsular hematomas, HELLP syndrome, disseminated intravascular coagulation and renal failure. Fatal outcome was related to cerebral death and rupture of the liver hematoma. The case analysis points out inaccurate initial management: probable misdiagnosis of epigastric pain related to subcapsular hematoma, ineffective antihypertensive therapy, aspiration of the gastric content after benzodiazepine treatment of eclampsia, transfer of the patient without stabilisation of her clinical status.