Eclampsia

Eclampsia, an acute and life-threatening complication of pregnancy, is characterized by the appearance of tonic-clonic seizures in a patient who had developed preeclampsia; rarely does eclampsia occur without preceding preeclamptic symptoms. Hypertensive disorder of pregnancy and toxemia of pregnancy are terms used to encompass both preeclampsia and eclampsia.

Seizures and coma that happen during pregnancy but are due to preexisting or organic brain disorders are not eclampsia.The term is derived from the Greek and refers to a flash, a term used by Hippocrates to designate a fever of sudden onset.