Simultaneous posterior ischemic optic neuropathy, cerebral border zone infarction, and spinal cord infarction after correction of malignant hypertension

Abstract

A 31-year-old woman developed bilateral posterior ischemic optic neuropathy and infarctions of the cerebral arterial border zones and spinal cord after correction of malignant hypertension. Although a few reports have described patients with neurologic abnormalities after treatment of malignant hypertension, full clinical and neuroimaging documentation of this combination of findings has not occurred. This case report suggests that the relative hypotension of autoregulatory failure induced by treatment of malignant hypertension may give rise to these neurologic complications.