title: Posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome (PRES) associated with severe eclampsia: Clinical and biochemical features.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES) and eclampsia share clinical characteristics and patients may present with a combination of these two entities. Our aim was to study the proportion of patients with eclampsia having evidence of PRES in their brain imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of pregnant patients diagnosed as having eclampsia that underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during their hospitalization. MRI diagnosis of PRES was assessed by 2 investigators blinded to group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included a total of 29 patients with eclampsia, out of which 17 (58.6%) had MRI evidence of PRES. When patients with eclampsia and eclampsia/PRES were compared, there was no difference in demographic characteristics such as age, weight or multiparity. Patients with eclampsia/PRES had higher levels of creatinine, liver enzymes, mean platelet volume and there was a trend towards higher proteinuria. Infants of mothers with eclampsia/PRES also had worse 1min APGAR scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PRES appears to accompany eclampsia in over half of all cases. The clinical picture of patients with eclampsia with or without associated PRES is similar, but certain biochemical characteristics suggest that PRES might be indicative of a more severe disease process.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Service, University Hospital "Dr. José E. González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico. Electronic address: crcamara83@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Carlos R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Camara-Lemarroy
authors.affiliation: Neurology Service, University Hospital "Dr. José E. González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico.
authors.forename: Nicolás
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Escobedo-Zúñiga
authors.affiliation: Neurology Service, University Hospital "Dr. José E. González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico.
authors.forename: Estefania
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Villarreal-Garza
authors.affiliation: Neurology Service, University Hospital "Dr. José E. González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico.
authors.forename: Erick
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: García-Valadez
authors.affiliation: Neurology Service, University Hospital "Dr. José E. González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Góngora-Rivera
authors.affiliation: Neurology Service, University Hospital "Dr. José E. González", Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico.
authors.forename: Héctor J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Villarreal-Velázquez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D004461:Eclampsia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D054038:Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D003404:Creatinine
keywords: Eclampsia; Hypertension; Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome; Pregnancy; Seizures