Diffuse leukoencephalopathy in a 29-year-old male with hypertensive emergency

BJR Case Rep. 2016 Nov 2;2(4):20150199. doi: 10.1259/bjrcr.20150199. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Severe hypertension is associated with multiple symptoms that reflect the end-organ damage effect of rapidly increasing blood pressure. Encephalopathy is a manifestation of the clinical spectrum of hypertensive emergencies. Hypertensive encephalopathy was initially described as part of the posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, which mostly involved the parieto-occipital white matter of the brain. A more detailed review of this syndrome reveals many cases where the brain abnormalities are distributed in a more random pattern. We describe a case of diffuse leukoencephalopthy in a young male who presented with altered mental status, ataxia, and blurred vision. This is the most diffuse brain involvement ever described in hypertensive statuses.

Publication types

  • Case Reports