New concepts in the understanding of hypertensive diseases during pregnancy. An overview.

Preeclampsia is a syndrome of unknown etiology characterized by the sequential development of facial and hand edema, hypertension, and proteinuria after the 20th week of gestation. Patients with preeclampsia may progress to a seizure-like state: The patient is then said to have eclampsia. The major goal of prenatal care is detecting the early onset of preeclampsia and to activate aggressive therapy to prevent severe complications either for the mother or the fetus. There currently are no specific forms of therapy to prevent the disease.