47 REVERSIBLE POSTERIOR LEUKOENCEPHALOPATHY SYNDROME (RPLS) FOLLOWING TRANSFUSION THAT INVOLVED WOMAN WITH CHRONIC ANEMIA DUE TOHUGE UTERINEMYOMA

Abstract

Transfusion may be necessary in anemic patient. But there are some adverse effects during or after blood transfusion. A 53 year-old-woman who was diagnosed iron deficiency anemia due to huge uterine myoma was transferred from local clinic. Her chief complaint was voiding difficulty, so we underwent total abdominal hysterectomy after correcting low hemoglobin. She developed seizures after receiving 10 units of packed red blood cells. She had no underlying diseases and her blood pressure was normal. Clinical and radiological findings, this patient were diagnosed as reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS). There are some cases of RPLS following transfusion that involved middle-aged women with chronic severe anemia who received large volumes of blood transfusion within a few days. Although blood transfusion is a common procedure with rare neurological complications, great caution should be taken with chronic severely anemic patients because a rapid elevation in hemoglobin may precipitate RPLS.