• K Shibata, I Furuki, Y Saitoh, K Mochizuki, and J Tanabe.
• Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Japan.
• Am J Emerg Med. 1994 Nov 1; 12 (6): 661-3.

AbstractThis article describes a case of Purtscher's retinopathy, a syndrome believed to be caused by microembolic infarction of the retina, in a 20-year-old man after remote extraocular trauma. The patient jumped from a 20-meter high building. He suffered multiple crush injuries, but a computed tomographic scan of the brain and orbit was normal. More than 1 month after injury, his visual acuity diminished to light perception in the right eye and counting fingers in the left. The ophthalmoscopic picture was characteristic of Purtscher's retinopathy with cotton-wool exudates and retinal hemorrhages localized to the posterior pole. His vision was improved only slightly 6 months later. Although rare, emergency physicians should be familiar with this entity as a cause of diminished vision associated with extraocular trauma.

17 keywords...

hide…