Delayed post-hypoxic leukoencephalopathy following alcohol consumption and cardiopulmonary arrest

Delayed post hypoxic leukoencephalopathy (DPHL) is a rare consequence of hypoxic brain injury that occurs several days to weeks following an initial hypoxic insult. Most of the previously published cases occur in the setting of drug overdoses or carbon monoxide poisoning, where the incidence of DPHL is as high as 3%. Our case depicts a patient with delayed hypoxic brain injury following cardiac arrest with cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Initial neuroimaging was normal, and a repeat MRI scan six days later revealed DWI changes consistent with DPHL. Our patient remained comatose throughout his clinical course until his eventual death nine days after the initial incident. The autopsy confirmed hypoxic-ischemic brain injury with co-existent Wernicke's encephalopathy, a known consequence of alcohol use disorder. This case outlines the clinical course of DPHL accompanied by the unique neuroimaging features that distinguish it from conventional hypoxic-ischemic brain injury.