Neurological Complications of Pregnancy

Prognosis of Pregnancy in Epileptics in Benin: A Case-Control Study

Objective  The main purpose of this article is to define prognosis of pregnancies in epileptic women in Benin. Methods  This was a case-control study that included 54 epileptic women who had at least one pregnancy matched to 162 controls on age, pregnancy term, and monitoring center. Information about epilepsy, treatment, pregnancy, and childbirth were collected. A logistic regression with odds ratio (OR) calculation was used to study the association. Results  During pregnancy 22.22% of epileptic women experienced an increase in seizure frequency. Epileptics had more frequent miscarriages (OR: 1.84 [1.01-3.51]), more incidents during pregnancy (OR: 4.03 [1.04-15.60]), and were more often hospitalized (OR: 3.35 [1.46-7.69]) than women without epilepsy. They, more often, had premature children before 37 weeks of amenorrhea (OR: 2.10 [1.12-3.91]) and gave birth to low-birth-weight children (OR = 2.17 [1.00-4.76]). Conclusion  Occurrence of a pregnancy in an epileptic woman in Benin is at risk and requires multidisciplinary monitoring by both neurologist and obstetrician to reduce complications.

Intracranial emergencies during pregnancy requiring urgent neurosurgical treatment

OBJECTIVE

Despite contemporary diagnostic and therapeutic techniques intracranial emergencies in the obstetric setting pose still a major challenge for the clinicians. There are limited guidelines and differing ethical views. Multidisciplinary teams are needed to support the pregnant woman in a way that she can deliver a viable and healthy child. The aim of the present study was to scrutinize the management of intracranial emergencies during pregnancy which needed urgent neurosurgical treatment.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Data of all pregnant women who presented with newly diagnosed intracranial pathologies and neurological symptoms caused by these pathologies in an emergency setting were collected over a 10-year period (2008-2018). Patient characteristics including maternal age, gestational age, and preoperative work-up of both mother and fetus were recorded. Furthermore, the surgical treatment, mode of delivery, and neonatal and maternal outcomes were analysed.

RESULTS

The mean maternal age was 32.7 years and most patients were in their third trimester. There was one twin pregnancy (total of 12 fetuses). Five out of eleven pregnant women suffered from intracerebral haemorrhage (epidural haematoma (1), arteriovenous malformation (1), subarachnoid haemorrhage (2) and intracerebral haemorrhage (1)) and the other six patients had intracranial neoplasms (primary meningeal sarcoma (1), trigeminal schwannoma (1), anaplastic astrocytoma (2), glioblastoma (1) and sphenoid wing meningioma (1)).Neurosurgical procedures were performed via craniotomies in eight patients. A stereotactic biopsy via a frontal burr hole was achieved one patient. The two other patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage due to rupture of PICA aneurysms were treated with coil embolization. Depending on the gestational age and the clinical condition of the pregnant women it was decided to perform an emergency Caesarean section prior to further therapeutic measures in seven patients. Two out of 12 fetuses were unviable. Six women survived, while five women succumbed to the intracranial pathology.

CONCLUSION

The individualized treatment approach in this peculiar obstetric scenario needs to consider various issues such as the clinical condition of the pregnant woman, prognosis of the disease, gestational age and the status of the pregnancy. The primary concern in this context must be the mother`s health and safety. Caesarean section is the primary mode of delivery in most cases. While contemporary care can insure survival for the majority of infants, maternal mortality still poses an extraordinary challenge. Interdisciplinary consulting of the patient and/or her family is necessary to develop a treatment strategy for both the expectant woman and her offspring.

Analysis of perinatal risk factors for small-for-gestational-age and appropriate-for-gestational-age late-term infants

To investigate the potential risk factors for small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) late-term infants, 100 cases of single full-term SGA infants delivered in the Department of Obstetrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University in 2017 were enrolled as the SGA group. A total of 100 healthy AGA who were born at the same time with the same gestational age were randomly included as the control group. The perinatal and postpartum adverse conditions of the two groups were recorded, and Apgar tests were performed on all newborns at 1 min (T1), 5 min (T2) and 10 min (T3) after birth. A follow-up survey was conducted in all patients at 6 and 12 months of age. At the second follow-up, the development quotient of the children was measured using the Gesell Developmental Schedule, and the perinatal risk factors of SGA were analyzed. The incidence of intrauterine distress, respiratory distress syndrome and infectious disease in the SGA group was significantly higher compared with that in the AGA group (P<0.05). The Apgar scores at T1, T2 and T3 were significantly lower in the SGA group compared with the AGA group (P<0.05). The Apgar score at T1 was lower compared with that at T2 in the SGA group (P<0.05), and the Apgar score at T2 was lower compared with that at T3 (P<0.05). The length of hospital stay in the SGA group was significantly longer compared with that in the AGA group (P<0.05). The development quotient at the 6 and 12th month in the SGA group was significantly lower compared with that in the AGA group (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that there was no correlation between SGA and maternal age, regardless of firstborn status, neonatal sex, mode of delivery and living environment. SGA was significantly associated with umbilical cord abnormalities, maternal pregnancy-induced hypertension, gestational diabetes, pregnancy infection and intrauterine distress (P<0.05). An abnormal umbilical cord, maternal pregnancy-induced hypertension, gestational diabetes, infection during pregnancy and intrauterine distress are all perinatal risk factors for SGA. Effective interventions are needed in clinical assessment to prevent the occurrence of SGA.

Evaluation of the Neurological Complaints during Pregnancy and Postpartum

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy and postpartum are critical periods for patients with neurological complications. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcome of pregnant women with neurological conditions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study reviewed pregnant women with neurological signs and symptoms, who were registered in the Medical Care Monitoring Center (MCMC) database of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences 2013-15. A questionnaire was designed to record each patient's information including demographic variables, past medical history, clinical presentation, obstetric profile, and fetal/maternal outcomes.

RESULTS

Totally, 332 mothers were registered in the database. The main neurological complaints in our population were headache, seizure, unilateral neurological symptoms, multiple sclerosis, neuromuscular disorder, and brain tumor. More than half of the patients (54%) experienced headache during the pregnancy and postpartum period.

CONCLUSION

Evaluating the neurological disorders separately, based on the time of symptom onset indicates the importance of follow-up of mothers during peripartum. Our findings suggest that decisions for pregnancy in women with neurological disorders should be based on risks outweighing for the mother and the fetus, particularly regarding the pharmacological side effects.

Clinical Study of Neurology Nursing on Cerebral Apoplexy Rehabilitation

The incidence of cerebral apoplexy has been on the rise in recent years, and research on the treatment and care of this disease has also received much attention. Therefore, a clinical study of neurological care for cerebral apoplexy rehabilitation care was conducted. Firstly, the Diffie-Hellman key exchange algorithm is introduced, and then the Diffie-Hellman prediction model is established. The patient is taken as an example to carry out simulation test, and the prediction model is compared with the real data. The data of the network model training set, the verification set and the test set are obtained. Patients were divided into observation group and control group by random number table method. The evaluation indicators included the treatment efficiency and the quality of life of the two groups. The results showed that the effective rate of the observation group was higher than that of the control group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The experiment proves that the clinical effect of neurological nursing on cerebral apoplexy rehabilitation nursing is positive, which can improve the limb movement and self-living ability of patients, improve the quality of life of patients and improve patient satisfaction. Clinical study of neurology nursing on cerebral apoplexy rehabilitation nursing is discussed in this paper, and the rehabilitation nursing method and formal standardized nursing process of this disease are standardized.

Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome Associated with Coronary Artery Vasospasm

Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome is a rare disorder associated with neurologic symptoms secondary to diffuse cerebral vasospasm. Cardiac involvement in this disease is exceedingly rare. A 50-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for evaluation of chest pain. During a 3-year period, she had been admitted multiple times because of chest pain and elevated serum cardiac enzymes. Transthoracic echocardiograms showed transient wall-motion abnormalities; however, coronary angiograms revealed no coronary artery disease. At the current admission, she had a thunderclap headache, and cerebral angiograms revealed diffuse cerebral vasoconstriction that improved after verapamil infusion, confirming the diagnosis of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. The patient was treated successfully with oral diltiazem and had no recurrence of symptoms. We describe what we think is the first reported case of coronary artery spasm in association with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. Future research should be focused on identifying treatment options and defining the mechanisms by which the cerebral and coronary vasculature are affected.

Spontaneous Intracranial Hemorrhage in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Stroke in pregnant women has a mortality rate of 1.4 deaths per 100,000 deliveries. Vascular malformations are the most common cause of hemorrhagic stroke in this population; preeclampsia and other risk factors have been identified. However, nearly a quarter of strokes have an undeterminable cause. Spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is less frequent but results in significant morbidity. The main objective of this study is to review the literature on pregnant patients who had a spontaneous ICH. A systematic review of the literature was conducted on PubMed and the Cochrane library from January 1992 to September 2016 following the PRISMA guidelines. Studies reporting pregnant patients with spontaneous intraparenchymal hemorrhage (IPH), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and subdural hemorrhage (SDH) were selected and included if patients had non-structural ICH during pregnancy or up to 6 weeks postpartum confirmed by imaging. Twenty studies were included, and 43 patients identified. Twenty-two patients (51.3%) presented with IPH, 15 patients (34.8%) with SAH, and five patients (11.6%) with SDH. The most common neurosurgical management was clinical in 76.7% of patients, and cesarean section was the most common obstetrical management in 28% of patients. The most common maternal outcome was death (48.8%), and fetal outcomes were evenly distributed among term delivery, preterm delivery, and fetal or neonatal death. Spontaneous ICH carries a high maternal mortality with IPH being the most common type, most frequently presenting in the third trimester. Diagnosis and management do not differ for the parturient compared to the non-pregnant woman.

Spectrum of Neurological Complications in Eclampsia in a Tertiary Care Hospital in India

OBJECTIVE

Preeclampsia or eclampsia is associated with significant maternal morbidity and mortality, and neurological complications are varied. This prospective observational study sought to collect data and push for early aggressive diagnostic evaluation for neurological complications in eclamptic women.

METHODS

The study was conducted in Lady Hardinge Medical College and associated Shrimati Sucheta Kriplani Hospital in New Dehli, India from July 2014 to July 2016. All women who underwent Caesarean delivery (CD) and had preeclampsia were identified, and eclamptic women who had CD and required critical care in the ICU were further followed up.

RESULTS

A total of 741 women (of the 5564 women with CDs) had preeclampsia. Of the 63 women in whom eclampsia developed, 32 required ICU admission. The incidence of neurological complications associated with eclampsia was 20.63%, and it was 40.62% among patients admitted to the ICU. In the patients who developed neurological complications, the mortality rate was 46.15%.

CONCLUSION

Neurological complications are not uncommon in eclampsia, and a high index of clinical suspicion is essential for early detection and proper management of these patients. All patients with eclampsia and neurological complications had raised systolic blood pressure, but not all had thrombocytopenia. Despite control of seizure with MgSO₄, the incidence of neurological complications remains high.

[Maternal death by stroke. Results from the French enquiry into maternal deaths, 2010-2012]

Stroke is a rare event during pregnancy (10/100,000) and can be ischemic (24%), hemorrhagic (74%) or both (2%). Pregnancy probably increases the risk even if it is discussed for arteriovenous malformation (AVM), aneurismal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and cavernomas. Between 2010 and 2012, 31 maternal deaths were associated with stroke. In 22 cases, stroke was the direct cause of death giving a maternal mortality ratio of 0,9/100,000 witch is not different from the former report (2007-2009). There were 2 cerebral thrombophlebitis, 2 ischemic strokes and 18 hemorrhagic strokes (4 SAH, 2 AVM). These deaths occurred during ongoing pregnancy in 5 cases (25%), after miscarriage in 1 case (5%) and in the post-partum period in 14 cases (70%). In this last situation, stroke occurred before delivery in 4 cases and during the post-partum period in 9 cases (1 to 9 days) (1 unknown). There were 7 vaginal deliveries (50%) and 6 emergency cesarean sections (43%) (1 unknown). Most of those deaths were considered to be unavoidable (13/17, 76%). Four deaths were considered by the experts as being possibly avoidable (delay diagnosis, diagnostic error, inadequate treatment, lake of interruption of the pregnancy). Analyzing those deaths remind that any sudden, severe and unusual headache must be explored and that pregnancy does not contraindicate any of the diagnostic examinations (TDM, angio-TDM, MRI) or invasive treatments (surgery, arterio-embolization, fibrinolysis) necessary for its management. Furthermore, the diagnosis of postdural puncture headache should not be establishedwithout imaging when the symptomatology is not absolutely typical.

[Indirect causes of maternal deaths (except stroke, cardiovascular diseases and infections): Results from the French confidential enquiry into maternal deaths, 2010-2012]

Maternal deaths of indirect causes result of a preexisting disease or an affection appeared during the pregnancy without any relationship with obstetrical causes, but worsened by the physiological effects of pregnancy. Among the 23 deaths of indirect cause related to a preexisiting pathology, 22 (96 %) have been analyzed by the expert comity. A known or preexisting chronic disease was documented in 16 patients (sick-cell disorder, n=3, treated epilepsy, n=3, intracerebral carvenomas, n=1, multifocal glial tumor, n=1, breast cancer, n=1, systemic lupus, n=1, diabetes mellitus, n=3, antiphospholipid syndrome, n=1). For 6 women, the pathology was unknown before the pregnancy (glioblastoma, n=2, epilepsy, n=1, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, n=1, sick-cell disorder, n=1, breast cancer, n=1). While 6 of these deaths has been evaluated as not avoidable, 13 deaths has been considered as possibly (n=12) or certainly (n=1) preventable. The main factor of avoidability was the patient's interaction with the health system (medically non advised pregnancy, lack of adherence to treatment, for example). A pre-pregnancy medical consultation with a specialist should be recommended to all patients with preexisting chronic disease, to allow a complete information about the risks of a pregnancy, treatment adaptation if needed, better adherence and multidisciplinary follow up.

Hemolysis, Elevated Liver Enzymes, and Low Platelets, Severe Fetal Growth Restriction, Postpartum Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, and Craniotomy: A Rare Case Report and Systematic Review

Introduction. Hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome is a relatively uncommon but traumatic condition occurring in the later stage of pregnancy as a complication of severe preeclampsia or eclampsia. Prompt brain computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a multidisciplinary management approach are required to improve perinatal outcome. Case. A 37-year-old, Gravida 6, Para 1-0-4-1, Hispanic female with a history of chronic hypertension presented at 26 weeks and 6 days of gestational age. She was noted to have hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome accompanied by fetal growth restriction (FGR), during ultrasound evaluation, warranting premature delivery. The infant was delivered in stable condition suffering no permanent neurological deficit. Conclusion. HELLP syndrome is an uncommon and traumatic obstetric event which can lead to neurological deficits if not managed in a responsive and rapid manner. The central aggravating factor seems to be hypertension induced preeclamptic or eclamptic episode and complications thereof. The syndrome itself is manifested by hemolytic anemia, increased liver enzymes, and decreasing platelet counts with a majority of neurological defects resulting from hemorrhagic stroke or subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). To minimize adverse perinatal outcomes, obstetric management of this medical complication must include rapid clinical assessment, diagnostic examination, and neurosurgery consultation.

Cerebral haemodynamics in early puerperium: A prospective study

AIM

Prospective study on 900 consecutive puerperae to assess normal values and range of the blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery in both hemispheres.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

M1 and M2 segments of both middle cerebral arteries were assessed in all subjects within 96 hours of delivery. Mean flow velocity was recorded after adjusting for insonation angle. Lindegaard index (LI = middle cerebral artery-Internal Carotid Artery mean flow velocity ratio) was calculated whenever the mean flow velocity exceeded 100 cm/second. Asymmetry indexes were calculated inter hemispherically for M1 and M2 segments separately.

RESULTS

Mean flow velocities were 74 ± 17 and 72 ± 17 in right and 73 ± 17 and 72 ± 17 cm/second in the left M1 and M2, respectively. A total of 136 subjects (12.1%) exceeded the threshold of 100 cm/second, but LI was consistently <3 in all of them. Mean flow velocity was inversely and independently correlated to haemoglobin levels and to parity. Mean asymmetry indexes were 0.25 ± 23 in M1 and 0.45 ± 25 in M2.

CONCLUSION

Mean flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery of healthy subjects in early puerperium is higher than in age-matched non-puerperal women and may exceed the threshold of 100 cm/second with no evidence of intracranial spasm, because of blood loss during delivery. Mean flow velocity is independently correlated with parity. Right-to-left mean flow velocity asymmetry may reach 50% as a consequence of a transient imbalance in vascular tone regulation.