Brainstem swelling and noncommunicating hydrocephalus caused by hypertensive brainstem encephalopathy

Abstract

Hypertensive encephalopathy is a life-threatening medical condition manifested by headache, confusion, seizures, and visual disturbance, and, if treatment is delayed, it may progress to coma and death [1, 2] (Chester et al., Neurology 28:928-939, 1978; Vaughan and Delanty, Lancet 356:411-417, 2000). Involvement of the brainstem with or without supratentorial lesions has been reported and is termed hypertensive brainstem encephalopathy (HBE). Cases of HBE involving supratentorial deep gray and white matter are rare and extensive hyperintensity was predominantly seen in brainstem regions on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery and T2-weighted magnetic resonance images. We present radiologic findings of a patient with HBE involving deep supratentorial gray and white matter, causing tonsillar herniation and noncommunicating hydrocephalus by mass effect.