Neurological Complications in Pregnancy and the Puerperium: Methodology for a Clinical Diagnosis
Lucia Merlino, Viviana Matys, Alba Crognale, Giulia D’Ovidio, Carlo Della Rocca, Maria Grazia Porpora, Luca Titi, Maria Federica Viscardi, Agnese Immacolata Volpicelli, Maria Grazia Piccioni
Abstract
Neurological complications in pregnancy and the puerperium deserve particular attention from specialists due to the worsening of the clinical picture for both the mother and the fetus. This narrative review of existing data in the literature aims to analyze the most common "red flag symptoms" attributable to neurological complications such as pre-eclampsia (PE), eclampsia, HELLP syndrome, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS), stroke, CVS thrombosis, pituitary apoplexy, amniotic fluid embolism and cerebral aneurysm rupture, with the aim of providing a rapid diagnostic algorithm useful for the early diagnosis and treatment of these complications. The data were derived through the use of PubMed. The results and conclusions of our review are that neurological complications of a vascular nature in pregnancy and the puerperium are conditions that are often difficult to diagnose and manage clinically. For the obstetrics specialist who is faced with these situations, it is always important to have a guide in mind in order to be able to unravel the difficulties of clinical reasoning and promptly arrive at a diagnostic hypothesis.