Sinais e sintomas em hipertensão arterial / Signs and symptoms of hypertension

A hipertensão arterial humana primária ou essencial abrange, na sua maioria, indivíduos no estágio I (pressão arterial sistólica [PAS] entre 140 e 160mmHg e pressão arterial diastólica [PAD] entre 90 e 100mmHg) e mesmo em estágios mais avançados (estágio II - PAS até 180mmHg, PAD até 110mmHg). Assintomática por muitos anos, tem sido cunhada como "o matador silencioso". Os sintomas e sinais mais frequentemente observados nos indivíduos hipertensos estão associados à hipertensão arterial de origem secundária ou são consequência da duração e gravidade do comprometimento dos órgãos-alvo (coração, cérebro, rim, olhos e vasos arteriais)...

The primary human arterial hypertension or essential cover mostly individuals in stage I (systolic blood pressure [SBP] between 140 and 160mmHg and diastolic blood pressure [DBP] between 90 and 100mmHg) and even in the most advanced stages (stage II - PAS until 180mmHg, PAD until 110mmHg). Asymptomatic for many years, it has been named as "the silent killer". The symptoms and signals more frequently observed in hypertensive individuals are related to arterial hypertension that has secondary orign or being consequence due duration and gravity of target organ which were affected (heart, brain, kidney, eyes and anterial vessels)...

Encefalopatias: etiologia, fisiopatologia e manuseio clínico de algumas das principais formas de apresentação da doença / Encephalopathies: etiology, pathophysiology, and clinical management of some major forms of disease presentation

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: As encefalopatias compõem um grupo heterogêneo de etiologias, onde a pronta e correta atuação médica direcionada à causa da doença, pode modificar o prognóstico do paciente. O objetivo deste estudo foi rever os aspectos fisiopatológicos das diferentes encefalopatias bem como seus principais fatores desencadeantes e manuseio clínico.CONTEÚDO: Foram selecionadas as mais frequentes encefalopatias observadas na prática clínica e discutir sua fisiopatologia, bem como sua abordagem terapêutica, destacando: encefalopatia hipertensiva, hipóxico-isquêmica, metabólica, Wernicke-Korsakoff, traumática e tóxica.CONCLUSÃO: Trata-se de uma complexa condição clínica que exige rápida identificação e preciso manuseio clínico com o intuito de reduzir sua elevada taxa de morbimortalidade. O atraso no reconhecimento dessa condição clínica poderá ser extremamente prejudicial ao paciente que estará sofrendo lesão cerebral muitas vezes irreversível.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Encephalopathies comprise a heterogeneous group of clinical conditions, in which the prompt and adequate medical intervention can modify patient prognosis. This paper aims to discuss the pathophysiological aspects of different encephalopathies, their etiology, and clinical management.CONTENTS: We selected the main encephalopathies observed in clinical practice, such as hypertensive, hypoxic-ischemic, metabolic, Wernicke-Korsakoff, traumatic, and toxic encephalopathies, and to discuss their therapeutic approaches.CONCLUSION: This is a complex clinical condition that requires rapid identification and accurate clinical management with the aim of reducing its high morbidity and mortality rates. Delay in recognizing this condition can be extremely harmful to the patient who is suffering from often irreversible brain injury.

Severe Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy in Pheochromocytoma: Importance of Susceptibility-Weighted MRI

Pheochromocytoma is a rare cause of hypertension in children. Hypertension is one of the common reasons of posterior reversible encephalopathy. Intracerebral hemorrhage is a serious and unexpected complication of hypertensive encephalopathy due to pheochromocytoma, and very rarely seen in the childhood. Intracerebral hemorrhages should be searched if there are hypertensive reversible signal changes on the brain. Susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) is a more sensitive method than conventional MRI when demonstrating cerebral microhemorrhagic foci. This is the first report of SWI findings on intracerebral hemorrhages in basal ganglia, brain stem and periventricular white matter due to hypertensive encephalopathy in a child with pheochromocytoma.

Post-dural puncture posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome

We report the case of a young patient with 36 weeks pregnancy, and an acute respiratory infection with severe bronchospasm, who developed an occipital headache and neck pain on the third day of inadvertent dural puncture during placement of combined epidural spinal anaesthesia for caesarian section. It was diagnosed as post-dural puncture headache until generalised tonic clonic siezures occurred the next day raising the suspicion of postpartum eclampsia or meningitis. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome was diagnosed on MRI of the brain which showed features of reversible ischemia in the posterior region of the brain. With anticonvulsant therapy and antibiotics there was complete resolution of neurological symptoms. We highlight the importance of high index of suspicion of this reversible encephalopathy .In obstetric cases with intentional or inadvertent dural puncture, with headache similar to post-dural punctural headache, and the essential role of neuroradiology in confirmation of the diagnosis, as placement of an epidural blood patch would be highly detrimental in these cases

The posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome.

The posterior/potentially reversible encephalopathy syndrome is a unique syndrome encountered commonly in hypertensive encephalopathy. A 13-year-old boy presented with of intermittent high grade fever, throbbing headache and non-projective vomiting for 5 days. The patient had a blood pressure of 120/80 mmHg but fundoscopy documented grade 3 hypertensive retinopathy. The patient improved symptomatically following conservative management. However, on the 5(th) post-admission day headache reappeared, and blood pressure measured at that time was 240/120 mmHg. Neuroimaging suggested white matter abnormalities. Search for the etiology of secondary hypertension led to the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. Repeated MRI after successful surgical excision of the tumor patient showed reversal of white matter abnormalities. Reversible leucoencephalopathy due to pheochromocytoma have not been documented in literature previously.

Hallazgos imagenológicos típicos y atípicos del síndrome de leucoencefalopatía posterior reversible / Typical and atypical imaging findings of reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome

Propósito: Realizar una revisión del síndrome de leucoencefalopatía posterior reversible, destacando los hallazgos imagenológicos atípicos del mismo. Materiales y métodos: Se estudiaron retrospectivamente 10 casos (n=10), 6 mujeres y 4 varones con edades comprendidas entre 7 y 84 años (media 40.6 años), con un tomógrafo multicorte (Sistemens Sensation 16, Erlangen, Germany) y dos resonadores (Magnetom Symphony 1.5T y Magnetom Impact 1T) entre octubre del año 2000 y mayo del 2007. Resultados: En nuestra casuística, el 40% (n=4) de los pacientes presentó edema citotóxico (hiperintensidad en Difusión); el 70% (n=7), compromiso del circuito anterior; el 29% (n=2) presentó sangrado, y el 10% (n=1), afectación del tronco del encéfalo. Conclusión: En la mayoría de los pacientes con diagnóstico de leucoencefalopatía posterior reversible se evidencia señal hiperintensa en secuencias T2 y FLAIR en la sustancia blanca de lóbulos occipitales y parietales, sin representación en la secuencia de difusión. Sin embargo, puede afectar otros territorios, presentar edema citotóxico, hemorragia y no ser reversible. Estos hallazgos atípicos conllevan un peor pronóstico y por ende una mayor mortalidad. Un adecuado análisis de las imágenes es importante para confirmar la sospecha clínica y establecer una terapéutica precoz.