Related Experiment Videos
Neurological complications of arterial hypertension
Insights
Severe arterial hypertension in children can cause neurological complications like convulsions. However, most children recover fully with no long-term neurological deficits after a single episode.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Hypertension Research
Background:
- Neurological complications can arise in children with severe arterial hypertension.
- Hypertensive encephalopathy is a serious concern in pediatric cases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neurological complications of severe arterial hypertension in children.
- To assess the long-term prognosis and cognitive outcomes following hypertensive encephalopathy in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 45 children over a 10-year period with severe arterial hypertension.
- Clinical assessment, brain imaging (computerized tomography), and psychometric testing for neurological deficits and cognitive function.
Main Results:
- Convulsions were the most frequent complication (82%).
- Epileptic seizures were the initial sign in 42% of cases.
- Children with a single episode of hypertensive encephalopathy showed good prognosis with no permanent neurological deficits or focal brain abnormalities on follow-up.
Conclusions:
- Severe arterial hypertension in children can lead to significant neurological issues, primarily convulsions.
- A single episode of hypertensive encephalopathy in children generally has a favorable long-term outcome with no lasting cognitive impairment.
- Cognitive assessments revealed generally lower reading skills and average IQs in affected children compared to controls, suggesting potential subtle long-term effects.
Abstract:
During a 10-year period 45 children were identified as having had neurological complications associated with severe arterial hypertension. Convulsions were the most common complication, occurring in 42 (82%) children. Two (4%) children each presented with a facial palsy and 2 (4%) with alterations in the level of consciousness. Nineteen (42%) presented with epileptic seizures as the first sign of arterial hypertension. The prognosis for children having had a single episode of hypertensive encephalopathy was good. Long-term follow-up showed no permanent neurological deficit on physical examination, and no focal abnormality on brain scan by computerised tomography. Psychometric analysis similarly failed to show any significant difference in cognitive assessment between children having had an episode of hypertensive encephalopathy and a control group with chronic renal disease, although reading skills were generally behind for chronological age and the average IQ was about 90 in both groups.