Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome in the Emergency Department: Case Series and Literature Review

INTRODUCTION: Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES) often has variable presentations and causes, with common radiographic features—namely posterior white matter changes on magnetic resonance (MRI). As MRI becomes a more frequently utilized imaging modality in the Emergency Department, PRES will become an entity that the Emergency Physician must be aware of and be able to diagnose. CASE REPORT: We report three cases of PRES, all of which presented to the emergency department of a single academic medical center over a short period of time, including a 53-year-old woman with only relative hypertension, a 69-year-old woman who ultimately died, and a 46-year-old woman who had a subsequent intraparenchymal hemorrhage. CONCLUSION: PRES is likely much more common than previously thought and is a diagnosis that should be considered in a wide variety of emergency department patient presentations.