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CASE REPORT article
Front. Med.
Sec. Obstetrics and Gynecology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1540957
Capillary Leak Syndrome Post-Cesarean Section in a Patient With Severe Preeclampsia: A Case Report
Provisionally accepted- 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hangzhou Linping Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- 2Department of General Surgery, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
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Background: Capillary leak syndrome (CLS) is a rare, often idiopathic condition, typically characterized by edema, hypotension, hypovolemic shock, and hypoalbuminemia. The progression of CLS is rapid, with a complex clinical course. If left undiagnosed or untreated, CLS can cause multiorgan failure and significantly increase the risk of mortality. Although CLS is generally associated with conditions such as infections, trauma, or autoimmune disorders, the occurrence of the condition following cesarean section in patients with severe preeclampsia is exceedingly uncommon. Case description: A 37-year-old pregnant woman at 37 weeks of gestation underwent a cesarean section due to severe preeclampsia. Postoperatively, the patient developed sudden hypoxemia, massive ascites, oliguria, hypotension, and hypoalbuminemia. Following the prompt identification and diagnosis, treatment was initiated with blood pressure management, magnesium sulfate to alleviate spasms, and supplementation with hydroxyethyl starch, albumin, and crystalloids. Additionally, corticosteroids were administered to improve capillary permeability. The condition was rapidly managed, with subsequent follow-up revealing no recurrence of similar issues. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first documented case of CLS occurring following cesarean delivery in a patient with severe preeclampsia. The successful management of this patient offers valuable insights into early diagnosis, prompt treatment, and the potential to improve the prognosis of similar cases.
Keywords: Cesarean Section, Postpartum, Capillary Leak Syndrome, Severe preeclampsia, case report
Received: 06 Dec 2024; Accepted: 07 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Jin, Li, Cheng, Huang and Lin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Da Lin, Department of General Surgery, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.