Abstract
Objective: List the main pathophysiological, clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic management characteristics of Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES) in pregnant and postpartum women. Methods: This literature review used the CAPES research database, with the descriptors: “PRES”, “Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome”, “Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome” and “Pregnancy”, between the years 2003 to 2019, resulting in 50 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Results: It was found that the pathophysiological mechanisms that seek to explain the general occurrence of this syndrome are not yet clear. The main clinical signs identified were seizures associated with headache and visual disturbances. The gold standard exam is magnetic resonance, preferably in T1, T2, ADC and DWI, with the diffusion restriction being related to a worse prognosis. Once the diagnosis has been made, therapeutic management with stabilization of the patient, blood pressure controls, seizure control and removing the underlying cause that triggered the PRES process is necessary. Final considerations: PRES is an acute onset syndrome, and it is important to recognize its clinical and diagnostic characteristics. So when to think about PRES? We suggest a mnemonic resource to remember as a differential diagnosis. P: Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia; R: Magnetic Resonance diffusion restriction; E: Cerebral edema; S: Visual symptoms.