No abstract

CONTEXT: Preeclampsia is often asymptomatic, and hence, its detection depends on signs or investigations. The platelet (PLT) parameters, in cases of preeclampsia with normal PLT count, are seldom analyzed. Hence, this study was undertaken to study the PLT parameters in nonthrombocytopenic preeclampsia cases. AIM: The aim was to evaluate the use of PLT indices as severity markers in nonthrombocytopenic preeclampsia cases. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This prospective study was done on 120 cases of severe preeclampsia, 115 cases of preeclampsia without severe features, and 203 normal pregnant women admitted in the obstetrics wards during the study period of 1 year. The PLT indices obtained by analyzing anticoagulated blood were recorded. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Analysis of variance test was used to see the significance of association. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and binary regression analysis was used to estimate the cutoff value and examine the predictive value of the PLT parameters in the disease progression of preeclampsia. RESULTS: Even in the absence of thrombocytopenia, mean platelet volume (MPV) and PLT distribution width were significantly higher in severe preeclampsia group (P < 0.001) and were also positively correlating with mean arterial pressure (r = 0.38 and 0.20, respectively). ROC curve analysis showed that MPV had the highest area under the curve of 0.78 (95% confidence interval [0.719‒0.842]). Cutoff value of >10.95 fl for MPV was found to have significant predictive value for disease progression in preeclampsia. CONCLUSIONS: Even in the absence of thrombocytopenia, PLT indices, especially MPV, have a good diagnostic significance in detecting severe preeclampsia. Further studies are required to evaluate their role as biomarkers in preeclampsia.

A 50-year-old man presented with a blind, painful right eye. He had a history of a blunt trauma injury to the right eye that occurred at 9 years of age, and he subsequently experienced multiple retinal detachments with 3 surgical repairs. Over the previous 4 years, the patient experienced episodes of ocular pain and increasing intraocular pressure. After unsuccessful attempts to lower the patient's intraocular pressure with medication, the patient underwent evisceration of the right eye. Histopathologic examination revealed extensive intraocular osseous metaplasia with fibrotic marrow elements and adipocytes (Figure).Intraocular bone formation is a rare finding that is theorized to be caused by trauma, chronic inflammation, or chronic retinal detachment, 1,2 and it can occur at both subretinal and preretinal locations. 3 Ossification to the extent seen in this case is seldom reported, 4 and this case provides histologic representation of dramatic intraocular bone formation 4 decades after substantial ocular trauma.

BACKGROUNDRed cell distribution width, used traditionally to differentiate various types of anaemia is also documented to be associated with severity of hypertension in non-pregnant population. However, there is scarcity of its usefulness in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. This study was undertaken to examine the role of red cell distribution width in predicting the severity of preeclampsia.