Relationship between alcohol type and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome: A case report

Abstract

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a clinical-radiologic syndrome characterized by headaches, altered mental status, seizures, visual symptoms, hallucinations, focal neurologic signs, and vasogenic edema in the posterior cerebral circulation territory, which develops within hours to days. The common etiology of PRES includes cytotoxic medication, preeclampsia, eclampsia, sepsis, renal disease or autoimmune disorders. However, alcohol withdrawal can be counted as one of the rarest causes of PRES. The relationship with PRES and the duration of alcohol use or type of alcohol is unknown. Herein, we report a 39-year-old male patient who was diagnosed as having PRES associated with the sudden withdrawal of alcohol (under-the-counter ethanol) and had a much shorter period of alcohol abuse than those reported in the literature.