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Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in children: report of three cases
Fatih Akın1, Cengizhan Kılıçaslan, Ece Selma Solak
1Department of Pediatrics, Konya Training and Research Hospital, Meram, 42090, Konya, Turkey, drfatihakin@gmail.com.
Insights
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) in children is often linked to underlying renal diseases. Promptly controlling high blood pressure is key to recovery, even with rare brain stem involvement.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Nephrology
- Radiology
Background:
- Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) presents with neurological symptoms like seizures and visual disturbances, primarily linked to severe hypertension.
- In children, secondary hypertension frequently stems from renal abnormalities, positioning renal diseases as a common cause of PRES.
Observation:
- This study reviewed three pediatric cases of PRES associated with diverse renal conditions, including atrophic kidney, hydronephrosis, nephrotic syndrome, and glomerulonephritis.
- Neurological involvement varied, with two patients exhibiting typical parieto-occipital and frontoparietal changes, and one presenting with rare brain stem involvement.
Findings:
- All identified cases of hypertension were attributed to renal issues.
- Complete recovery was achieved in all patients through effective management of their elevated blood pressure.
Implications:
- PRES should be strongly considered in pediatric patients presenting with neurological symptoms, particularly those with known renal disease.
- The findings highlight the critical role of renal health in pediatric neurological conditions and emphasize timely hypertension control for favorable outcomes.
Purpose:
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a condition characterized by varying degrees of headache, nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, focal neurologic deficit, and seizures due to severe systemic hypertension. The knowledge of secondary hypertension in children is most commonly due to renal abnormalities, suggesting that the leading cause of PRES in childhood is renal diseases.
Methods:
Three pediatric patients who developed PRES due to various underlying renal diseases were reviewed.
Results:
The etiology of hypertension of our patients was all renal problems including atrophic kidney, hydronephrosis secondary to reflux nephropathia, nephrotic syndrome, and acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis. While two of them had typical of the parieto-occipital and frontoparietal involvement, the other had brain stem involvement. All of the patients were recovered by the control of high blood pressure.
Conclusion:
Primary involvement of the brain stem is rare in children. PRES should be taken into account, especially in children with renal disease in the appropriate clinical settings.
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