Aims: Investigate if kidney function markers predict posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) in children.
Materials and methods: In a case-control study of high-risk children with confirmed PRES (n = 35) compared to controls (n = 14), we recorded blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine, serum albumin, hemoglobin concentrations, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and documentation of acute kidney injury (AKI). We applied multivariable regression models and determined receiver operating characteristic curves.
Results: Mean age was 9.5 (SD 4.9) years, 51% were female, 29% had chronic kidney disease, 67% had nephrotoxic medication exposure, and 29% had AKI. A 1-mg/dL increase in BUN (adjusted OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.99 - 1.07) and AKI (adjusted OR 3.78, 0.68 - 21.13) were minimally, but not statistically significantly, associated with PRES. BUN = 21.6 mg/dL performed best but had low ability to predict PRES (area under the curve 0.664, 0.498 - 0.831), with 60.0% sensitivity, 71.4% specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 84.0% and 41.7%, respectively.
Conclusion: Kidney function may be a relatively more minor risk factor for PRES than previously believed. Further prospective studies with larger sample sizes and better kidney function assessments are warranted to evaluate the role of kidney function in the development of PRES.