Types of maternal hypertensive disease and their association with pathologic lesions and clinical factors

Fetal Pediatr Pathol. 2012 Oct;31(5):319-23. doi: 10.3109/15513815.2012.659391. Epub 2012 Mar 20.

Abstract

Hypertensive disease (HD) during pregnancy includes chronic hypertension (HTN), gestational hypertension (GH), and preeclampsia/eclampsia (PEC). Differences between types of HD have not been well studied. Clinicopathologic features were compared between the HD groups and controls. HD was associated with lower Apgar scores, intrauterine growth restriction, IUGR, and delivery at an earlier gestational age (GA). IUGR was less common in the GH group, gestational age was lowest in the PEC. As expected, HD is associated with placental lesions of malperfusion, younger GA, and increased incidence of IUGR and controls showed less chronic and more "acute" lesions (ACA, MEC). Finally, comparisons of the HD groups showed differences only in GA and IUGR in the GH group as compared to the HTN and PEC groups. This suggests that GH may be associated with less severe clinical disease while showing similar pathologic features.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Apgar Score
  • Chronic Disease
  • Comorbidity
  • Eclampsia / epidemiology
  • Eclampsia / pathology*
  • Female
  • Fetal Growth Retardation / epidemiology
  • Fetal Growth Retardation / pathology
  • Gestational Age
  • Humans
  • Hypertension / epidemiology
  • Hypertension / pathology*
  • Infant, Newborn
  • New York City / epidemiology
  • Obstetric Labor, Premature / epidemiology
  • Placenta / pathology*
  • Placenta Diseases / epidemiology
  • Placenta Diseases / pathology*
  • Pre-Eclampsia / epidemiology
  • Pre-Eclampsia / pathology*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / epidemiology
  • Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / pathology*
  • Premature Birth / epidemiology