European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

TACROLIMUS ASSOCIATED POSTERIOR REVERSIBLE ENCEPHALOPATHY SYNDROME: A CASE REPORT

Dr. Jahnbee Sarma, Dr. Swapnil Verma, Dr. Siddharth Sharma and Dr. Abhinav Aggarwal*

ABSTRACT

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a rare clinic-radiological entity that presents with headache, generalized seizures, nausea, visual disturbances, altered mental status, focal deficits and coma. Tacrolimus is an immunosuppressive drug mainly used to lower the risk of transplant rejection in individuals who are post solid organ or hematopoietic transplantation. It acts via competitive inhibition of calcineurin that inhibits transcription of Interleukin-2 (IL-2) by T-helper lymphocytes and inhibits their proliferation. Although PRES is a suspected complication of tacrolimus therapy, the literature regarding management of this complication in the setting of immunosuppression is rare. In the present case study the authors would like to highlight the importance of early recognition, high index of suspicion, importance of symptomatic management with cessation of tacrolimus therapy.

Keywords: Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome(PRES), Tacrolimus, Solid organ transplantation.