A global amnesia associated with the specific variant of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) that developed due to severe preeclampsia and malignant hypertension.
A case is reported of a 26-year-old primiparous woman in the 32nd week of gestation who presented to the emergency department with the symptoms of a severe headache, nausea and vomiting. The patient was diagnosed with preeclampsia that later progressed to eclampsia. This state was characterized by a sudden onset of a headache and diplopia that advanced to cortical blindness and precipitated significant alterations in mental status, most notable being global amnesia that resolved within 48 h. A post-partum magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in FLAIR mode revealed multiple cortico-subcortical areas of hyperintense signals suggestive of edematous lesions that chiefly involved occipital and parietal lobes with additional atypical manifestations. Such radiologic findings suggested a posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome variant with the global amnesia as an extraordinary constituent. This unique feature should be acknowledged when treating a preeclamptic or hypertensive patient that exhibits neurological symptomatology and vision disturbances.
Department of Pathophysiology , University of Split School of Medicine , Šoltanska 2, 21 000 Split , Croatia.
Josip Anđelo
JA
Borovac
Department of Pathophysiology , University of Split School of Medicine , Šoltanska 2, 21 000 Split , Croatia.
Joško
J
Božić
University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče, University of Zagreb School of Medicine , Bolnička cesta 32, 10 090 Zagreb , Croatia.
Nikola
N
Žaja
Clinical Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology , University Hospital Center Split , Spinčićeva 1, 21 000 Split , Croatia.
Krešimir
K
Kolić
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics , University Hospital Center Split , Spinčićeva 1, 21 000 Split , Croatia.
Vedran
V
Hrboka