Purtscher-like retinopathy in acute alcoholic pancreatitis.

A 23-year-old man with a history of alcoholism presented with vomiting, fever, and sharp epigastric pain radiating to the back and flanks. He was diagnosed as a case of acute alcoholic pancreatitis on the basis of clinical findings and investigations. On the next day of presentation, he developed sudden bilateral visual loss. His best-corrected visual acuity was finger counting at one-foot distance in both eyes. He had diffuse whitening in the circumpapillary area, haloes around the retinal vessels (Purtscher flecken) and intra-retinal hemorrhages on ophthalmoscopic examination. Optical coherence tomography revealed bilateral macular edema. These findings were characteristic of Purtscher-like retinopathy. The patient showed systemic and visual improvement at 8 weeks follow-up after receiving the conventional treatment for acute alcoholic pancreatitis. This case emphasizes the importance of fundus examination by an ophthalmologist in the diagnosis of this rare under-diagnosed entity.

Ileal tuberculosis presenting as a case of massive rectal bleeding.

Massive rectal bleeding is an uncommon presentation of ileal tuberculosis. Fewer than 12 cases are reported in the literature. We report a case of ileal tuberculosis presenting at the emergency department with subacute intestinal obstruction and severe rectal bleeding. The case of the massive bleeding could be identified only after an exploratory laparotomy.

Immature cystic teratoma of head of pancreas.

Cystic pancreatic tumors are rare in children and the immature cystic teratoma of the pancreas is even rarer. A review of the world literature shows 18 documented cases involving all the age groups. The preoperative evaluation of this lesion is rather questionable, with definitive diagnosis taking place intraoperatively. We report the 19(th) case, in a 5-month-old male child. The clinical presentation and preoperative diagnosis of this anomaly are discussed.