RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Computed tomographic changes of hypertensive encephalopathy.
JF American Journal of Neuroradiology
JO Am. J. Neuroradiol.
FD American Society of Neuroradiology
SP 395
OP 398
VO 6
IS 3
A1 Weingarten, K L
A1 Zimmerman, R D
A1 Pinto, R S
A1 Whelan, M A
YR 1985
UL http://www.ajnr.org/content/6/3/395.abstract
AB Computed tomographic (CT) scans were evaluated in 11 patients with acute hypertensive encephalopathy. Hypertensive encephalopathy is characterized by an acute, severe rise in blood pressure associated with headache, nausea, vomiting, altered mental status, and focal neurologic deficits, and rapid improvement after control of blood pressure. The systolic blood pressure range is 200-280 mm Hg; diastolic is 130-170 mm Hg. The most common CT finding was white-matter edema, diffuse or focal, affecting the supratentorial compartment in all cases and the infratentorial compartment in eight. These changes resolved after the blood pressure was lowered in all six patients studied by follow-up CT. Permanent areas of infarction were demonstrated in three patients. These abnormalities are correlated with the neuropathologic findings in hypertensive encephalopathy.