Open AccessBilateral severe visual loss in a patient with acute pancreatitis: Purtscher-like Retinopathy
Author(s) -
Ricardo Evangelista Marrocos de Aragão,
Iêda Maria Alexandre Barreira,
Gustavo José Arruda Mendes Carneiro,
Nayara Queiroz Cardoso Pinto,
Talles Peterson Cavalcante Oriá,
Jhonatan de Paula Araújo Ferreira,
Igor Costa Menezes
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
revista de medicina da ufc/revista de medicina da universidade federal do ceará
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2447-6595
pISSN - 0100-1302
DOI - 10.20513/2447-6595.2017v57n2p50-52
Subject(s) - medicine , cotton wool spots , acute pancreatitis , retinopathy , atrophy , ophthalmology , pancreatitis , fundus (uterus) , surgery , pathology , diabetes mellitus , endocrinology
Purtscher retinopathy is a unilateral or bilateral visual loss following acute injury to the thorax or head. It is characterized by large cotton-wool spots, hemorrhages, and retinal edema. Vision loss may be permanent due to isquemia of the retina, and optic atrophy. Is thought to be a result of injury-induced complement ativation causing granulocyte aggregation and leukoembolization. Other conditions may active complement and may produce similar fundus appearance including acute pancreatitis, collagen-vascular disease, childbirth, and amniotic fluid embolism. Herein, we describe a patient with bilateral permanent visual loss following diagnosis of acute pancreatitis.