ABSTRACT
Many neurologic diseases in women are influenced by the physiologic and hormonal changes of pregnancy, and pregnancy itself poses challenges in both treatment and evaluation of these conditions. Some diseases, such as epilepsy and multiple sclerosis, have a high enough prevalence in the young female population to support robust epidemiologic data while many other neurologic diseases, such as specific myopathies and muscular dystrophies, have a low prevalence, with data limited to case reports and small case series. This chapter features epidemiologic information regarding a breadth of neurologic conditions, including stroke, epilepsy, demyelinating disease, peripheral neuropathies, migraine, sleep-disordered breathing, and meningioma, in women in the preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum stages.
Subject(s)
Epilepsy , Multiple Sclerosis , Peripheral Nervous System Diseases , Pregnancy Complications , Stroke , Epilepsy/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Complications/epidemiologySubject(s)
Brain Ischemia/therapy , Heart Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery/therapy , Myxoma/diagnostic imaging , Stroke/therapy , Brain Ischemia/diagnostic imaging , Brain Ischemia/etiology , Cerebral Angiography , Computed Tomography Angiography , Echocardiography , Endovascular Procedures/methods , Heart Atria/diagnostic imaging , Heart Atria/surgery , Heart Neoplasms/complications , Heart Neoplasms/pathology , Heart Neoplasms/surgery , Humans , Male , Mechanical Thrombolysis/methods , Middle Aged , Myxoma/complications , Myxoma/pathology , Myxoma/surgery , Stroke/diagnostic imaging , Stroke/etiology , Thrombectomy/methods , Thrombolytic Therapy/methodsSubject(s)
Corpus Callosum/pathology , Face , Sensation Disorders/etiology , Vision Disorders/etiology , Aged , Corpus Callosum/diagnostic imaging , Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Female , Humans , Sensation Disorders/diagnostic imaging , Stroke/complications , Vision Disorders/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
Stroke risk is 3 times higher in pregnancy than in the general young adult population and carries high morbidity and mortality risks. The recognition of signs and symptoms of stroke and other serious cerebrovascular disorders in pregnant and postpartum patients is important for the obstetrician to be able to initiate urgent evaluation and management. The objective of this review is to provide an evidence-based summary of stroke incidence, risk factors, prevention, and treatment of stroke in pregnancy. The impact of postpartum contraceptive use can on stroke risk is summarized.
