CT and MRI findings of eclampsia and their correlation with neurologic symptoms

To evaluate the brain lesions of eight eclamptic patients with computed tomogram (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and correlate their radiologic lesions with the neurologic symptoms.

We recorded and followed up the neurologic presentations of eight eclamptic patients. They received brain CT and MRI the first two days after the development of seizures, then follow-up study of the brain lesions with MRI. Correlation of their radiologic brain lesions with neurologic presentations was also done.

Radiologic studies of these patients showed hypoxic-ischemic brain lesions and brain edema involving the temporo-parieto-occipital junctions; these lesions were bilateral and relatively symmetrical in distribution. Other involved regions of the brain included the basal ganglia, periventricular white matter, internal and external capsules and scattered lesions involving various lobes. Almost all the radiologic brain lesions had had total resolution in the follow-up MRI study. Besides generalized tonic-clonic seizure, the other neurologic presentations included headache, blurred vision, and dizziness.

Although the brain lesions involved many regions, the temporo-parieto-occipital junction is the most frequently involved area. The incidence of appearance of brain lesions in radiologic study is greatly affected by the temporal relationship of the scan to the development of seizure. Visual disturbance and headache have a good correlation with radiologic findings, i.e. occipital lobe involvement and diffuse brain edema, respectively. However, some of the other neurologic presentations do not have comparable radiologic lesions.