dialysis dementia


di·al·y·sis en·ceph·a·lop·a·thy syn·drome

a progressive, often fatal, diffuse encephalopathy occurring in a few patients on chronic hemodialysis; to be differentiated from the relatively acute, self-limited dialysis disequilibrium syndrome. Synonym(s): dialysis dementia

dialysis dementia

Dialysis encephalopathy Nephrology Aluminum toxicity affecting Pts with ESRD, who require long-term dialysis; aluminum is present in the phosphate binders in the dialysate solutions, and in the oral Al(OH3) required to control terminal renal failure, and accumulates in the brain Clinical DD is defined by ≥ 2 of following neurologic signs: stuttering, stammering, dysnomia, hypofluency, mutism, seizures–generalized tonic-clonic, focal, or multifocal, or motor disturbances–myoclonic jerks, motor apraxia or immobility, EEG–presence of bilateral synchronous spike and wave activity; other changes include speech defects, seizures, mental deterioration, bone pain, osteolysis–fractures, pseudofractures, microcytic anemia, porphyria cutanea tarda, and delta waves by EEG–similar to those of metabolic encephalopathy Management Chelation–deferoxamine; recognition of the association between aluminum and dialysis has led to the ↓ in frequency of DD

di·al·y·sis en·ceph·a·lop·a·thy syn·drome

, dialysis dementia (dī-al'i-sis en-sef'ă-lop'ă-thē sin'drōm, dĕ-men'shē-ă) A progressive, often fatal, diffuse encephalopathy occurring in patients on chronic hemodialysis.