Posterior reversible encephalopathy in a case of late-onset eclampsia

Background: Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a clinical-radiological syndrome with acute or sub-acute presenting symptoms characterised by the presence of headache, vomiting, epileptic seizures, visual disorders and altered level of consciousness associated to lesions mainly located in the white matter of the posterior regions of the brain.

Methods: A 32-year-old female who developed PRES in the postpartum period secondary to late-onset eclampsia. Ten days after giving birth, the patient presented a clinical picture consisting in headache, epileptic seizures, blindness and deterioration of the level of consciousness. The magnetic resonance imaging scan confirmed the predominant involvement of posterior white matter.

Conclusions: Although eclampsia is a typical condition in pregnancy and the immediate postpartum period, it must be remembered that there is also a late-onset form that may occur after the birth and might be the cause of other syndromes such as PRES. Although the prognosis in these cases is usually favourable, treatment must be established as early as possible, with rapid control of the blood pressure and seizures in order to avoid permanent brain damage. This syndrome must always be taken into account in women with epileptic seizures or other neurological symptoms during the postpartum period.