Neurological disorders in pregnancy

WK To, RTF Cheung
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong

Pregnant women can present with a wide variety of neurological conditions. Patient data from 1 January 1985 through 31 December 1994 for all deliveries at the Tsan Yuk and Queen Mary hospitals were reviewed to determine the local frequency of various neurological conditions during pregnancy. Conditions including epilepsy, eclampsia, facial nerve palsy, pituitary tumour, cerebrovascular disorders, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, and non-pituitary intracranial tumours were encountered, in descending order of frequency. The limitations of this retrospective analysis are acknowledged. This paper reviews the current concepts of these conditions and outlines appropriate management.

Hong Kong Med J 1997;3:400-8

Key words: Cerebrovascular disorders; Eclampsia; Epilepsy/drug therapy; Facial paralysis; Pituitary neoplasms