Preeclampsia. Diagnosis, Treatment and Management

Preface

Chapter 1. Epidemiology and Clinical Features of Preeclampsia
(Erbil Karaman, MD, Deniz Dirik, MD, Onur Karaaslan, MD, Agnese Maria Chiara Rapisarda, MD, Michele Fichera, MD, Yasemin Karaman, MD, Department of Obstetric and Gynecology, Van Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey, and others)

Chapter 2. Pathogenesis of Preeclampsia
(Henna Salman, Mohsin Shah, PhD, Syed Hamid Habib, PhD, Agnese Maria Chiara Rapisarda, MD, Gaetano Riemma, MD, Michele Fichera, MD, Department of Physiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, Pakistan, and others)

Chapter 3. Risk Factors of Preeclampsia: Current Perspectives for Prevention
(Jessica Anastasi, MD, Elena Maria Torrisi, MD, Özge Kahramanoglu, MD, Enrique Reyes-Muñoz, MD, Gaetano Riemma, MD, and Agnese Maria Chiara Rapisarda, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, Department of General Surgery and Medical Surgical Specialties, University of Catania, Catania, Italy, and others)

Chapter 4. Diagnosis
(Giulia Arcidiacono, MD, Jessica Anastasi, MD, Seyed Navid Mousavi, MD, Ozge Kahramanoglu, MD, Mohsin Shah, MD, PhD, and Michele Fichera, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, Department of General Surgery and Medical Surgical Specialties, University of Catania, Catania, Italy, and others)

Chapter 5. Clinical and Instrumental Monitoring of Pregnant Woman at Risk of Preeclampsia
(Francesco Sgalambro, MD, Elena Maria Torrisi, MD, Seyed Navid Mousavi,MD, Gaetano Riemma, MD, Ferdinando Antonio Gulino, MD, and Stella Capriglione, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, Department of General Surgery and Medical Surgical Specialties, University of Catania, Catania, Italy, and others)

Chapter 6. Principles of Therapy and Management
(José Antonio Hernández-Pacheco, MD, Salvador Espino y Sosa, MD, Agnese Maria Chiara Rapisarda, MD, Francesco Sgalambro, MD, Michele Fichera, MD, and Enrique Reyes-Muñoz, MD, Division of Internal Medicine, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes, Mexico City, Mexico, and others)

Chapter 7. Novel Therapies for Preeclampsia
(Seyed Navid Mousavi, MD, Agnese Maria Chiara Rapisarda, MD, Ozge Kahramanoglu, MD, Li-Te Lin, MD, Erbil Karaman, MD, Giulia Arcidiacono, MD, and Michele Fichera, MD, Department of General Surgery and Medical Surgical Specialties, University of Catania, Catania, Italy, and others)

Chapter 8. Short- and Long-Term Consequences of Preeclampsia
(Li-Te Lin, MD, Chyi-Uei Chern, MD, Giulia Arcidiacono, MD, Seyed Navid Mousavi, MD, Michele Fichera, MD, and Ju-Yueh Li, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, and others)

Chapter 9. Preeclampsia: Labor and Delivery Management
(Ozge Kahramanoglu, MD, Oya Demirci, MD, Elena Maria Torrisi, MD, Jessica Anastasi, MD, Francesco Sgalambro, MD, and Michele Fichera, MD, Department of Perinatology, Health Science University, Zeynep Kamil Women and Children’s Diseases Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey, and others)

Index

Preeclampsia is becoming an increasingly common diagnosis in the developed world and remains a high cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality in the developing world. It is a multisystem progressive disorder of pregnancy characterized by the new onset of hypertension and proteinuria of ≥300 mg/day or of hypertension and significant end-organ dysfunction with or without proteinuria. It also presents with a variety of organ failures, including malfunction of kidneys, liver and lungs. It is estimated that about 5-7% of pregnancies are complicated by preeclampsia.

This disorder always resolves after delivery. In about 80% of cases, pregnancy ends with good maternal and fetal outcomes. However, these pregnancies are still at increased risk for maternal and/or fetal mortality or serious morbidity. The remaining 20% of cases are at risk for preterm delivery and small gestational age infant. As regards the long-term consequences, women with preeclampsia are at high risk for cardiovascular, renal, and chronic hypertensive diseases.

The exact pathophysiology of preeclampsia is poorly understood and, consequently, there are no well-established methods of primary prevention or of cost-effective screening.
Childbirth is the only known cure; however, the decision between delivery and expectant management depends on several factors, such as fetal gestational age, maternal and fetal status at time of initial evaluation, presence of labor or rupture of fetal membranes, and level of available neonatal and maternal services.

The aim of this book is to provide an overview of the latest developments about the physiopathology, diagnosis, and treatment of pre-eclampsia. Addressed to gynecologists, obstetricians, researchers and students, this text aims to become a reference for all operators who are interested in pregnancy complications and in the management and treatment of this specific disorder which is increasingly common in the population.