POSTERIOR REVERSIBLE ENCEPHALOPATHY SYNDROME IN ECLAMPTIC PATIENTS: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BLOOD PRESSURE, CRANIAL INVOLVEMENT, AND SEIZURE RECURRENCE.

OBJECTIVES: Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome(PRES) is a clinic radiological disorder characterized by headache, epileptic seizure, encephalopathy, visual impairment, and focal neurological deficits. Gestational hypertension, which is a significant risk factor for PRES, may cause significant morbidity and mortality among pregnant women. DESIGN: Twenty-four patients with PRES caused by eclampsia who were admitted to our hospital in the last 5 years were included in this study. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Blood pressure at admission, number of regions with vasogenic edema in the brain, and recurrent seizures were noted. Patients were divided into three groups: mild, moderate, and severe. RESULTS: Using Kruskal-Wallis and Pearson Chi-square tests, there was no statistical significance between the groups in terms of cranial involvement(P: 0.471). However, binary logistic regression analysis showed that seizure recurrence increased in correlation with blood pressure (P: 0.04) Limitations: PRES is a rare syndrome associated with several etiologies. In our study, only patients with PRES due to eclampsia were included. Therefore, the number of included patients was limited (24 participants). CONCLUSION: PRES may occur in eclamptic patients with mild, moderate or severe blood pressure values. Evaluation by MRI is needed to confirm the diagnosis. Early and rapid treatment is essential for reducing the morbidity and mortality among pregnant women.

Association Between Guillain-Barré Syndrome and COVID-19 Infection: Experience of a Turkish Neurophysiology Laboratory.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected the practice of neurology and other medical fields. The neurological complications associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection are remarkable. In this study, we investigated the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) caused by COVID-19 diagnosed between 1 September 2020 and 30 November 2020. Methods: This study included patients diagnosed with GBS clinically and electrophysiologically between September-November 2020 (pandemic period) and September-November 2019 (prepandemic period). Patients with GBS during the pandemic period, who were diagnosed with COVID-19 within 6 weeks before neuropathic symptoms developed, were included in the study. Pandemic period GBS patients were grouped as GBS associated with COVID-19 (n=13), and prepandemic period patients were grouped as GBS non-associated with COVID-19 (n=7). Demographic, clinical, electrophysiological and laboratory data of these two patient groups were compared. Results: The most common symptoms were fever and cough (46.2%) in GBS associated with COVID-19 group and diarrhoea (71.4%) in GBS non-associated with COVID-19 group during active infection period. In the GBS associated with COVID-19 patients, lung involvement was apparent in 12 (92.3%) during active viral infection. A positive and significant correlation was observed in GBS associated with COVID-19 patients between comorbid factors and a need for ventilation support. Conclusion: GBS cases associated with COVID-19 may have a more severe course, especially if they have comorbidities. It is important to define the unique clinical, electrophysiological, and laboratory findings of such patients to optimise follow-up, treatment and management.