MRI of the brain in a woman with eclamptic seizures shows symmetric hyperintense lesions on T2-weighted images in the parieto-occipital white matter, representing vasogenic edema, which resolve completely on repeat imaging after recovery. This pattern corresponds to which entity?
- A Herpes simplex encephalitis
- B Multiple sclerosis plaques
- C Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome ✓
- D Watershed infarction from hypoperfusion
Correct answer: C. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome
Explanation
Eclampsia is a recognized cause of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, in which failed cerebral autoregulation and endothelial leak produce vasogenic edema, characteristically in the parieto-occipital regions. Lesions are reversible with blood pressure control and magnesium sulfate. Watershed infarcts are cytotoxic and irreversible, herpes encephalitis preferentially affects temporal lobes, and demyelinating plaques have a different distribution and evolution, making these distractors anatomically or temporally inconsistent.
Reference: Williams Obstetrics, 26th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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