EEG Findings in Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neurophysiology

Background:

• Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a common cause of hospital-acquired encephalopathy.
• Electroencephalogram (EEG) findings in PRES are not well-characterized.
• Understanding EEG patterns is crucial for diagnosing and managing PRES.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and describe the EEG findings in patients diagnosed with PRES.
• To identify any characteristic or predominant EEG patterns associated with PRES.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of electronic medical records at Tampa General Hospital (January 2016 - October 2017).
• Identified patients with a clinical and MRI-confirmed diagnosis of PRES who underwent at least one EEG.
• EEGs were interpreted by two board-certified electroencephalographers.

Main Results:

• Ten PRES patients (4 male, 6 female; ages 21-87) had EEG data.
• Clinical presentations included encephalopathy, seizures, vision changes, and headache.
• EEG findings were diverse: normal (3), intermittent/continuous generalized slowing (5), background slowing (3), background suppression (1), generalized rhythmic delta activity (GRDA) (2), GRDA with discharges (1), and generalized periodic discharges (1).
• Common etiologies included hypertension (9), posttransplant immunosuppression (3), eclampsia (1), and chemotherapy (1).

Conclusions:

• EEG findings in PRES are highly diverse and lack a specific or predominant pattern.
• The varied EEG results underscore the complexity of PRES pathophysiology.
• Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to elucidate specific EEG biomarkers for PRES.