PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - S C Keswani
AU  - R Wityk
TI  - Don't throw in the towel! A case of reversible coma
AID  - 10.1136/jnnp.73.1.83
DP  - 2002 Jul 01
TA  - Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
PG  - 83--84
VI  - 73
IP  - 1
4099  - http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/73/1/83.short
4100  - http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/73/1/83.full
SO  - J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry2002 Jul 01; 73
AB  - A young woman with pre-eclampsia became unresponsive shortly after delivery. Examination revealed extensive brain stem dysfunction with absent pupillary light reflexes and decerebrate posturing. Computed tomography showed hypodensity throughout the brain stem, and it was initially thought that she had suffered catastrophic brain stem infarction. However, magnetic resonance diffusion imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient mapping showed that she had brain stem vasogenic oedema (posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, PRES), rather than cytotoxic oedema. With antihypertensive and supportive treatment, she recovered rapidly, and had no abnormalities on repeat imaging.