[Cerebrovascular incidents in 4 hemodialysis patients treated with erythropoietin].

Human recombinant erythropoietin (r-huEPO) is very effective in the treatment of anemia of hemodialyzed patients. We describe 4 patients who developed symptoms of central nervous dysfunction during r-huEPO therapy. Three exhibited typical hypertensive encephalopathy, whereas signs of cerebral ischemia were found in the fourth. The increase in blood viscosity with r-huEPO treatment, leading to a rise in peripheral vascular resistance and blood pressure especially in previously hypertensive patients, may be of importance in the pathogenesis of these cerebrovascular incidents; preexistent arteriosclerosis is an possible additional risk factor.