What is metabolic encephalopathy?

Metabolic encephalopathy or toxic metabolic encephalopathy is a condition in which brain function is disturbed either temporarily or permanently due to different diseases or toxins in the body. Metabolic encephalopathies may be reversible if the preexisting disorders are treated.

What is acute encephalopathy?

Acute encephalopathy is characterized by an acute or subacute global, functional alteration of mental status due to systemic factors. It is reversible when these abnormalities are corrected, with a return to baseline mental status. Acute encephalopathy may be further identified as toxic, metabolic, or toxic-metabolic.

What is the difference between toxic-metabolic encephalopathy and toxic-toxicity?

Toxic encephalopathy describes acute mental status alteration due to medications, illicit drugs, or toxic chemicals. Metabolic encephalopathy is caused by any of a large number of metabolic disturbances. Toxic-metabolic encephalopathy describes a combination of toxic and metabolic factors.

Can general anesthesia cause metabolic encephalopathy or coma?

A global decrease in the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen consumption may occur during profound hypothermia and following sedative drug overdose. 53,54 This is reversible if substrate delivery is maintained. Thus, general anesthesia itself can be viewed as a cause of reversible metabolic encephalopathy or coma.

What is the prognosis of chronic encephalopathy (CE)?

If undetected, chronic encephalopathy can cause low‐grade cognitive impairment and mimic dementia or even depression. Renal, hepatic, or pulmonary insufficiency often leads to such cognitive impairment.

Can imaging help in the diagnosis of acute toxic and acquired metabolic encephalopathy?

The differential diagnosis of patients presenting with acute encephalopathy is broad. Imaging can help in narrowing the differential in many cases. We pictorially review the more classic MRI features of several acute toxic and acquired metabolic encephalopathies. CONCLUSION.

What is the pathophysiology of encephalopathy in hyperhypertension?

Hypertension suggests that the encephalopathy is caused by a metabolic disorder (e.g., renal or endocrinologic) or ischemic disorder (e.g., cerebrovascular or cardiovascular), and hypothermia suggests a metabolic or toxic cause.