Anesthetic Challenges Associated With Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome in a Pregnant Woman Scheduled for a Caesarean Section

TL;DR

This paper discusses the challenges of administering anesthesia to a pregnant woman with PRES, a rare neurological condition linked to pre-eclampsia.

Contribution

The paper highlights the unique anesthetic difficulties in managing PRES during caesarean sections.

Findings

PRES is increasingly recognized in the context of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia.

Anesthetic choices for PRES patients remain uncertain due to limited knowledge.

PRES adds complexity to the already difficult perioperative management of pre-eclampsia.

Abstract

Recently, there has been a rise in reports of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), which is an uncommon neurologic illness. The precise cause of PRES syndrome is yet unknown, but there are certain illnesses that have been associated with it. Furthermore, because of advances in imaging methods and growing awareness, the connection between PRES and pre-eclampsia/eclampsia is becoming increasingly recognised. Pre-eclampsia/eclampsia by itself poses distinct perioperative difficulties; in addition, PRES makes anesthesia administration more difficult. Regretfully, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the anesthetic treatment provided to the extremely sick and medically complex patients, and it is uncertain whether the chosen anesthetic might exacerbate neurologic problems. Here, we discuss the implications for the anesthetic management of PRES presentations.

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