Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) and infection: a systematic review of the literature.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is an encephalopathy characterized by a rapid onset of symptoms including headache, seizures, confusion, blurred vision, and nausea associated with a typical magnetic resonance imaging appearance of reversible subcortical vasogenic edema prominent and not exclusive of parieto-occipital lobes. Vasogenic edema is caused by a blood-brain barrier leak induced by endothelial damage or a severe arterial hypertension exceeding the limits of cerebral blood flow autoregulation. Although the exact pathophysiological mechanism is still unclear, frequent conditions that may induce PRES include severe hypertension, eclampsia/pre-eclampsia, acute kidney diseases and failure, immunosuppressive therapy, solid organ, or bone marrow transplantation.