Blood Pressure Fluctuations in Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome

Author(s):  
Alejandro A. Rabinstein ◽  
Jay Mandrekar ◽  
Ryan Merrell ◽  
Osman S. Kozak ◽  
Olayemi Durosaro ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Lu ◽  
Weixi Xiong ◽  
Yingying Zhang ◽  
Yingfeng Xiao ◽  
Dong Zhou

AbstractPosterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a rare clinical disease that refers to the subcortical vasogenic edema involving bilateral parieto-occipital regions, with a usually reversible syndrome when causes are eliminated or controlled. Hypertension or blood pressure fluctuations are most common causes of PRES, but other contributors like chemotherapy and autoimmune disorders have also been reported. PRES has rapid onset of symptoms. Therefore, it is of major importance to determine whether blood pressure management plays an important role in prognosis. We presented two PRES patients who developed non-convulsive seizure but had normal baseline blood pressure at the time of presence of cause. The diagnosis of PRES was made by neurologists. The patients had no history of seizure or hypertension, but during the disease course they presented with temporal elevation of blood pressure with different durations. The second patients without instant blood pressure control developed residual symptoms of seizure at 90- and 120-day follow-up. Although the exact pathophysiology of PRES remains to be fully understood, primary and secondary prolonged blood pressure fluctuations may be associated with the prognosis of this syndrome. Early blood pressure management would be critical to favorable outcome.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayawardane Pathiranage Roneesha Lakmali ◽  
Kanapathipillei Thirumavalavan ◽  
Danapala Dissanayake

Abstract Background Leptospirosis is a zoonotic spirochetal disease caused by Leptospira interrogans. The clinical presentation ranges from an asymptomatic state to a fatal multiorgan dysfunction. Neurological manifestations including aseptic meningitis, spinal cord and peripheral nerve involvement, cranial neuropathies and cerebellar syndrome are well recognized with varying frequencies among patients with this disease. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome is a very rare occurrence in leptospirosis and only two cases are reported in the medical literature up to now. We report a case of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in a patient with leptospirosis with rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury. Case presentation A 21 year-old male presented with fever and oliguric acute kidney injury with rhabdomyolysis. A diagnosis of leptospirosis was made and he was being managed according to the standard practice together with regular hemodialysis. The clinical condition was improving gradually. On day 8 of the illness, he developed headache and sudden painless complete bilateral vision loss followed by several brief generalized tonic clonic seizure attacks. Examination was significant for a Glasgow Coma Scale of 14/15, blood pressure of 150/90 mmHg and complete bilateral blindness. The findings of magnetic resonance imaging of the brain were compatible with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. He was managed with blood pressure control and antiepileptics with supportive measures and standard treatment for leptospirosis and made a complete recovery. Conclusion Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, though very rare with leptospirosis, should be considered as a differential diagnosis in a patient with new onset visual symptoms and seizures, especially during the immune phase. Optimal supportive care together with careful blood pressure control and seizure management would yield a favourable outcome in this reversible entity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-145
Author(s):  
Maythem Abdulhassan Al-Kaisy

Objective: During the late 2019, a group of patients had unexplained chest infections in Wuhan which turned out to be the new pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). New neurological symptoms have been reported in COVID-19 patients. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a new neurological finding and is associated or caused by COVID-19. Case Presentation: A 32-year-old lady, with no medical background had COVID-19 infection and needed mechanical ventilation. After surviving the intensive care, she started to have multiple seizures that required general anesthesia to be aborted. The patient turned out to have PRES. Conclusion: PRES is a neurological syndrome causing seizures, headaches, and blurred vision. It is usually associated with high blood pressure, renal failure, and other risk factors. The patient in this case had nearly normal blood pressure, but still had a diagnosis of PRES. The new reported neurological symptoms associated with COVID-19 infection need further research and attention from the academic society to predict and prevent the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 patients.


Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly Bates ◽  
Kyle Darpel ◽  
Nneka Amadife ◽  
Adam Dugan ◽  
Jessica D Lee

Introduction: Several theories exist regarding the pathogenesis of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). One theory suggests that PRES occurs when systemic blood pressure exceeds the upper limit of cerebral autoregulation. Endothelial dysfunction has been proposed as an alternative pathogenesis to account for PRES outside the setting of acute hypertension. This mechanism has been implicated in other conditions associated with PRES including autoimmune diseases, cytotoxic medications, sepsis, and eclampsia. The purpose of this study was to determine if COPD, a disease known to cause endothelial dysfunction, has a causative association with the development of PRES. Methods: A single center retrospective, age-matched, case-control study was performed from January 2013 to June 2019 comparing patients discharged with a primary diagnosis of PRES to a control group with acute ischemic stroke. Demographics, medical comorbidities, initial blood pressure, and clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups. For categorical variables, p-values were calculated using χ2 and Fisher’s exact tests. For continuous variables, p-values were calculated using two-sample t-tests. The effect of COPD and acute hypoxic respiratory failure on PRES status was investigated using multivariate logistic regression. Results: A total of 94 PRES subjects and 109 control subjects were included for analysis. Mean age did not differ between the two groups; however, the PRES group was more likely to be female (78.7% vs. 49.5%, p<0.001). COPD was present in 26.6% (n=25) of cases and 11% (n= 12) of controls (odds ratio 4.12, p=0.003). Occurrence of hypertension did not differ significantly between the two groups (78.0% vs 86.2%). Among patients with PRES in the setting of COPD (n=25), 60% (n=16) did not meet criteria for hypertensive emergency. Controlling for hypertensive emergency status in a multivariate logistic regression analysis, patients with COPD were 3.21 times more likely to develop PRES (p= 0.004). Conclusions: To our knowledge, very few reports of PRES in the setting of COPD have been described in the literature and no association of PRES and COPD has been defined to date. Our data support the role of COPD as a risk factor in the development of PRES.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. e229319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ines Gil ◽  
Filipa Serrazina ◽  
Miguel Pinto ◽  
Miguel Viana-Baptista

The posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a clinicoradiological syndrome characterised by a combination of headache, encephalopathy, seizures and visual disturbances, associated with high-intensity abnormalities on T2-weighted images affecting subcortical white and grey matter of the occipital and parietal lobes. Among other causes, PRES has been associated with the use of several medications including chemotherapeutic agents. Here we report a case of a 65-year-old patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung treated with cisplatin/vinorelbine. Following the second administration of vinorelbine, she was admitted to the hospital for a generalised seizure. Blood pressure was just slightly elevated and, except for drowsiness, she had a near-normal neurological examination. MRI corroborated the diagnosis. Vinorelbine-induced PRES has been reported only once in the literature, also in association with cisplatin. Our case underlines the role of vinorelbine and suggests that its association with cisplatin in this setting may enhance the risk of PRES.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Mai ◽  
Zhiyu Liang ◽  
Zhanhang Chen ◽  
Zhaoran Liu ◽  
Yaxi Xu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The neuroimaging manifestations of eclampsia and preeclampsia often overlap, mainly presenting as posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the extent and nature of brain edema in eclampsia and preeclampsia patients with PRES based on MRI characteristics. Methods One hundred fifty women diagnosed with preeclampsia-eclampsia and undergoing cranial MRI were enrolled; 24 of these were diagnosed as having eclampsia. According to clinicoradiologic diagnosis of PRES, eligible patients were classified as having eclampsia with PRES (group E-PRES) and preeclampsia with PRES (group P-PRES). A scale on T2W FLAIR-SPIR images was established to evaluate the extent of brain edema, and the score of brain edema (SBE) of both groups was compared. In patients of the two groups who also underwent DWI sequence, the presence or absence of hyperintensity on DWI and hypointensity on ADC maps were determined to compare the nature of brain edema. Furthermore, clinical and biochemical data of the two groups were compared. Results The incidence of PRES in eclampsia patients was significantly higher than that in preeclampsia patients (87.50% vs. 46.03%, P<0.001). The SBE of all regions and typical regions in group E-PRES patients were significantly higher than those in group P-PRES patients (15.88±8.72 vs. 10.90±10.21, P=0.021; 8.52±3.87 vs. 5.01±4.19, P=0.002; respectively). The presence of hyperintensity on DWI was determined more frequently in group E-PRES patients than group P-PRES patients (71.43% vs. 32.00%, P=0.024). Age, systolic blood pressure, white blood cell count, neutrophil count and percentage of neutrophils were significantly different between the two groups (P<0.05). Conclusions Certain MRI characteristics that reflect the extent and nature of brain edema were different between eclampsia and preeclampsia patients with PRES. Additional prospective studies are still required to explore whether these MRI characteristics of brain edema may further become a potential predictor for eclamptic seizures in preeclampsia patients with PRES.


BMC Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Dietz ◽  
Zarmina Mufti ◽  
Muhammed Yousaf ◽  
Randal Brown ◽  
Christopher Counts ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) represents a transient change in mental status with associated vasogenic edema of cortical and subcortical brain structures. It is often attributed to multifactorial etiology including hypertension and altered hemodynamics and disruption of vessel integrity. Patients with autoimmune disease and certain immune modulator therapies are at greater risk. Case presentation A 54-year-old female with past medical history of well-controlled multiple sclerosis on interferon-beta since 2013, presented with witnessed tonic colonic seizure. She also was noted to demonstrate left gaze deviation and left-sided hemiparesis. MRI fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequence showed hyperintensity of the subcortical U fibers, concentrated in the occipital, parietal lobes and frontal lobes. Systolic blood pressure was 160 mmHg on arrival. The patient was started on seizure prophylxis and Interferon beta was discontinued. The patient’s mentation, seizures and hemiapresis significantly improved in next 72 h with tight blood pressure control, and had notble improvement on MRI imaging and inflammatory markers. Lumbar puncture CSF results were devoid of infectious and autoimmune pathology. Conclusions A middle-aged female with multiple sclerosis who was on chronic IFN-beta presented to the emergency room with a witnessed tonic-clonic seizure, with MRI T2 FLAIR imaging consistent with PRES. She had notable clinical improvement with decreased edema on imaging and improved inflammatory markers 72 h after cessation of IFN-beta therapy.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah A. Morrow ◽  
Robina Rana ◽  
Donald Lee ◽  
Terri Paul ◽  
Jeffrey L. Mahon

Increased blood pressure is a known adverse effect associated with corticosteroids but little is published regarding the risk with the high doses used in multiple sclerosis (MS). A 53-year-old female with known relapsing remitting MS presented with a new brainstem relapse. Standard of care treatment for an acute MS relapse, 1250 mg of oral prednisone for 5 days, was initiated. She developed an occipital headache and dizziness and felt generally unwell. These symptoms persisted after treatment was complete. On presentation to medical attention, her blood pressure was 199/110 mmHg, although she had no history of hypertension. MRI changes were consistent with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), demonstrating abnormal T2 signal in both thalami, the posterior occipital and posterior parietal white matter with mild sulcal effacement. As her pressure normalized with medication, her symptoms resolved and the MRI changes improved. No secondary cause of hypertension was found. This is the first reported case of PRES secondary to high dose corticosteroid use for an MS relapse without a history of hypertension and with no other secondary cause of hypertension identified. This rare complication should be considered in MS patients presenting with a headache or other neurological symptoms during treatment for a relapse.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document