Hypertensive encephalopathy (HE) is general brain dysfunction due to significantly high blood pressure. Symptoms may include headache, vomiting, trouble with balance, and confusion. Onset is generally sudden. Complications can include seizures, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, and bleeding in the back of the eye.In hypertensive encephalopathy, generally the blood pressure is greater than 200/130 mmHg. Occasionally it can occur at a BP as low as 160/100 mmHg. This can occur in kidney failure, those who rapidly stop blood pressure medication, pheochromocytoma, and people on a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) who eat foods with tyramine. When it occurs in pregnancy it is known as eclampsia. The diagnosis requires ruling out other possible causes.The condition is generally treated with medications to relatively rapidly lower the blood pressure. This may be done with labetalol or sodium nitroprusside given by injection into a vein. In those who are pregnant, magnesium sulfate may be used. Other treatments may include anti-seizure medications.Hypertensive encephalopathy is uncommon. It is believed to occur more often in those without easy access to health care. The term was first used by Oppenheimer and Fishberg in 1928. It is classified as a type of hypertensive emergency. Signs and symptoms
Hypertensive encephalopathy is most commonly encountered in young and middle-aged people who have hypertension. Overall, the condition is rare even among people with hypertension. Studies report that from 0.5 to 15% of people with malignant hypertension develop hypertensive encephalopathy.
leukopenia
lymphopenia
neutropenia
thrombocytopeniaOther signs include: fever, loss of skin elasticity due to dehydration, abdominal pain, sternal recumbency with splayed legs and head droop, nasal discharge and conjunctivitis. Cats may sit at a water bowl, but not drink. Terminal cases are hypothermic and may develop septic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation.Infection in pregnant cats can result in fetal resorption, mummification, abortion, or stillbirth of neonates. Fetuses infected in utero that survive and kittens less than a few weeks of age that become infected can have cerebellar hypoplasia, retinal dysplasia, and optic neuropathy. Diagnosis
A presumptive clinical diagnosis of FPLV can be made for kittens with appropriate signalment, history, clinical findings and the history of no prior vaccination.The clinical diagnosis is usually supported by documenting parvovirus antigen in feces by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) assays. The availability of validated assays varies by country but is becoming more common. PCR assays are so sensitive that FPV DNA can be amplified from feces of cats vaccinated with modified live strains of the virus. At least one of the ELISA antigen tests for dogs (SNAP®Parvo; IDEXX Laboratories) detects FPV in feline feces and has a cut point for a positive test result that excludes most vaccinated cats. Thus, this ELISA is superior to PCR for screening cats for FPV infection and can also be performed in the veterinary clinic. (These are only approved and licensed for detecting canine parvovirus, but it is generally known that they also detect FPL viral antigen in feline feces.