Unusual aspects of the dialysis disequilibrium syndrome

In five patients with chronic renal failure, rapid correction by dialysis of hypertension and/or high blood urea levels provoked acute neurological disorders, followed by slowly reversible neuropsychiatric disturbances. Focal EEG alterations were noted in three patients with normal carotid angiograms. Our cases differed from those usually described as suffering from the dialysis disequilibrium syndrome because of their duration, the severity of mental disturbances, and the asymmetrical pattern of EEG abnormalities. We propose that the symptoms observed could be due to cerebral ischemia. This possibility emphasizes the importance of limiting the duration and efficiency of the first dialyses in patients with severe hypertension and high nitrogen retention, especially if high performance dialyzers are used.