Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Case Report

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome of the midbrain and hypothalamus - a case report of uremic encephalopathy presenting with hypersomnia -

Yuji Shiga, M.D.1), Yuhei Kanaya, M.D.1), Ryuhei Kono, M.D.1), Shinichi Takeshima, M.D.1), Yutaka Shimoe, M.D., Ph.D.1) and Masaru Kuriyama, M.D., Ph.D.1)

1)Department of Neurology, Brain Attack Center Ota Memorial Hospital

We report the case of a 73-year-old woman presenting with hypersomnia and loss of appetite. She suffered from diabetic nephropathy without receiving dialysis, in addition to hypertension, which was well controlled without marked fluctuation. There were no objective neurological findings. Her laboratory findings showed renal failure with 3.7 mg/dl of serum creatinine and decreased serum sodium and potassium. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) with vasogenic edema, which was distributed in the dorsal midbrain, medial thalamus, and hypothalamus. After we addressed the electrolyte imbalance and dehydration, her symptoms and MRI findings gradually improved, but faint high signals on MRI were still present 3 months later. Orexin in the cerebrospinal fluid was decreased on admission, but improved 6 months later. We diagnosed uremic encephalopathy with atypical form PRES showing functional disturbance of the hypothalamus.
Full Text of this Article in Japanese PDF (586K)

(CLINICA NEUROL, 56: 43|47, 2016)
key words: uremic encephalopathy, variant form of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, orexin, hypersomnia, loss of appetite

(Received: 25-Aug-15)