RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: The occurrence of preeclampsia before the 20th week of gestation is rare and it has been associated with hydatidiform molar pregnancy. OBJECTIVES: We describe a case of first trimester eclampsia which occurred in a patient with hydatidiform mole. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: A 16-year-old woman came to emergency service for abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. She had been suffering of vomiting after meals and complaining for abdominal mass for 2months, without consulting her physician. The last reported period was 1month before; the patient told her periods were regular and the only disease she reported was chronic HBV hepatitis. Vital parameters were all normal. Urine pregnancy test resulted always negative. The gynecological exam reported an increased uterus and a little bleeding, so serum bhCG was performed because of the exam findings and resulted 110,5317UI/L. The transvaginal ultrasound showed images consistent with gestational trophoblastic disease. Computed tomography (CT) scan revealed the presence of an uterine mass and three lung nodules, reported as possibly metastatic. A few days later, the patient underwent dilation and curettage (D&C). Second grade hydatiform mole was diagnosed by histology. After D&C, the serum bhCG was 202,511UI/L. The day after, the patient presented bilateral acute blindness, followed by incoming general seizures, concurrent hypertension and tachycardia. Intravenous diazepam, levetiracetam and mannitol controlled the seizures, but the conscious state of the patient remained critical. Temperature reached 40°C, with concurrent leukocytosis. Then, a lumbar puncture was performed but it resulted negative for inflammatory/infective processes. A head CT was performed the same day and showed a posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). Intravenous methylprednisolone was started. Long term therapy with methylprednisolone and levetiracetam was effective and the patient's status improved and stabilized. A subsequent chemotherapy with EMA/CO regimen (etoposide, methotrexate, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide, vincristine/oncovine) was performed for six cycles, until serum bhCG resulted negative and the abdomen/pelvis ultrasound, head NMR and chest X-ray resulted normal. CONCLUSION: Preeclampsia and eclampsia are regarded as common causes of PRES, which is considered to be the result of vasogenic brain edema. Clinical and imaging findings are usually reversible. Early diagnosis and elimination of possible causes are important in order to avoid permanent visual or brain injury. Imaging (especially MRI) should be carried out in eclamptic patients with visual disturbance in order to exclude other causes of blindness. Molar pregnancy is a rare but important cause of eclampsia, and it has always to be considered in case of early manifestations.