BMJ case reports
-
Case Reports
Cortical blindness and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in an older patient.
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a clinical and radiological entity. It associates, to varying extents, neurological symptoms such as headaches, confusion, seizures and visual alterations from haemianopsia to cortical blindness. ⋯ PRES can be caused by various heterogeneous factors, such as hypertension, side effect of drug therapies, eclampsia, sepsis or autoimmune diseases. The authors report here the case of an 86-year-old woman, presenting totally regressive cortical blindness and seizures, with compatible imaging.
-
Case Reports
Autoimmune pernicious anaemia as a cause of collapse, heart failure and marked panyctopaenia in a young patient.
A 35-year-old woman with a history of vitiligo, hypothyroidism and amenorrhoea presented with collapse and clinical features of cardiac failure. Laboratory investigations revealed pancytopaenia, the cause of which was found to be vitamin B12 deficiency due to pernicious anaemia. ⋯ Clinical features of pernicious anaemia which can include marked pancytopaenia, diagnostic approach, associated conditions and approach to treatment are discussed. The importance of surveillance for gastrointestinal malignancy is emphasised.