Also known as: Brain attack
Emma, a celebrity photographer, self-diagnoses her stroke using the FAST mnemonic during a photoshoot. Initial imaging reveals microaneurysms predicting further strokes, making this the presenting symptom that leads to discovering her underlying condition.
Also known as: Kidney failure
Emma's kidneys begin shutting down following her stroke, with urinalysis revealing excessive protein and red blood cells and creatinine levels over 2.5. This becomes a major diagnostic clue pointing toward the underlying maternal mirror syndrome.
Also known as: Mitral valve narrowing
House initially diagnoses calcified mitral valve stenosis from Emma's history of untreated strep throat, theorizing it caused both the stroke and kidney failure. They perform a balloon valvuloplasty, but her kidneys continue failing, proving this was not the underlying cause.
Also known as: Ballantyne syndrome
The central diagnosis of the episode where Emma's body mirrors the distress of her fetus. As the fetus suffers from various conditions, Emma develops progressive multi-organ failure. This rare condition drives the entire episode's conflict about whether to terminate the pregnancy.
Also known as: Liver failure
Emma develops acute liver failure as part of the maternal mirror syndrome, with transaminases 10 times normal and severe jaundice. This progressive organ failure creates urgent pressure to terminate the pregnancy and becomes life-threatening.
Also known as: Bladder blockage
The fetus cannot urinate, causing the bladder to swell to four times normal size and compress the developing lungs. The team initially believes this is the sole cause of the maternal mirror syndrome and inserts a shunt, but Emma continues to deteriorate.
Also known as: CCAM
The ultimate diagnosis discovered through open fetal surgery. The fetus has three well-defined lung lesions (CCAM) which, combined with the urinary obstruction, is causing the fetal distress that triggers maternal mirror syndrome. House performs a fetal lobectomy to remove the lesions.
Also known as: Early labor
Emma develops pre-term labor contractions at 21 weeks gestation after the liver biopsy procedure. The team controls it with terbutaline and tocolytics, but it's interpreted as Emma's body trying to expel the fetus to save itself.
Also known as: Fluid in the lungs
Emma develops pulmonary edema as a complication of the aggressive corticosteroid treatment combined with tocolytics. Cameron continues the treatment despite the lung failure because Emma is already on a respirator, prioritizing accelerating fetal lung development.
Also known as: DIC
Emma develops severe DIC as part of her progressive multi-organ failure from maternal mirror syndrome, making procedures like liver biopsy dangerous due to uncontrolled bleeding risk.
Also known as: V-fib
During the open fetal surgery, Emma goes into ventricular fibrillation requiring multiple defibrillation attempts. House realizes the fetus itself is causing the arrest and that completing the surgery is the only way to save her.