Late-onset postpartum eclampsia: still a diagnostic dilemma?

Abstract

Eclampsia is still a major cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality in developing countries but postpartum eclampsia has rarely been described. We present a case in which a 22-year-old Brazilian woman without a typical history of pre-eclampsia presented with eclampsia after the fourth postpartum day. The clinical diagnosis was corroborated by angiography and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. The findings of nine similar cases reported in the literature are reviewed to compare data and highlight possible diagnostic pitfalls when managing this condition.