title: Purtscher's retinopathy in pre-eclampsia: a blinding combination.
abstract: Blindness in pregnancy can occur due to cortical infarcts, retinal vascular occlusions and retinal detachment. Purtscher's retinopathy is a rare entity causing visual loss during pregnancy and has so far been reported in association with complicated labor. We report here on a case of Purtscher's retinopathy leading to bilateral blindness in a pre-eclamptic multigravida after an uncomplicated spontaneous delivery. The patient had no visual recovery after 3 months postpartum. Poorly controlled pregnancy-induced hypertension coupled with the hypercoagulable state of pregnancy probably led to a compromised optic nerve microvasculature and loss of retinal autoregulation. Subsequently the acute event of parturition triggered a complement-mediated leucocyte embolization to this already compromised microvasculature resulting in Purtscher's retinopathy.
authors: Guru Nanak Eye Centre, Maulana Azad Medical College and Affiliated Hospitals, New Delhi, India, mail4kirti@gmail.com.
authors: Kirti
authors: K
authors: Singh
authors: Divya
authors: D
authors: Jain
authors: Batriti
authors: B
authors: Wallang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia; D011247:Pregnancy; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*