Blood transfusion in sickle cell disease leading to posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES)

Abstract

Children with sickle cell disease have a very high risk of lifelong neurologic morbidity and mortality. Cerebrovascular accidents are a known complication in children with sickle cell disease. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome is a constellation of acute neurologic findings increasingly recognized in pediatric critical care population with evidence of vasogenic edema on brain imaging possibly due to cerebral vascular endothelial cell dysfunction. This report, for the first time, describes a young adult with sickle cell disease who developed posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome following blood transfusion.

Keywords: PRES; brain edema; children; magnetic resonance imaging; posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome.