Pheochromocytoma manifesting as cortical blindness secondary to PRES with associated TMA: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Pheochromocytomas are neoplasms originating from neuroectodermal chromaffin cells leading to excess catecholamine production. They are notorious for causing a triad of headaches, palpitations, and sweats. Though the Menard triad is one to be vigilant of, symptomatic presentation can vary immensely, hence the tumor earning the label "the great masquerader." CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of pheochromocytoma initially presenting with cortical blindness secondary to posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome and thrombotic microangiopathy from malignant hypertension. Our patient was seen in our facility less than a week prior to this manifestation and discharged after an unremarkable coronary ischemia work-up. In the outpatient setting, she had been prescribed multiple anti-hypertensives with remarkably elevated blood pressure throughout her hospitalization history. CONCLUSION: Pheochromocytoma presenting with malignant hypertension and hypertensive encephalopathy should be expected if left untreated; nonetheless, the precipitation of cortical blindness is rare in the literature. This case contributes an additional vignette to the growing literature revolving adrenal tumors and their symptomatic presentation along with complex management. It also serves to promote increased diagnostic suspicion among clinicians upon evaluating patients with refractory hypertension.

Amaurosis cortical aguda secundaria a preeclampsia / Acute cortical blindness secondary to preeclampsia

La amaurosis cortical aguda es una complicación dramática y poco común de la preeclampsia. Se presenta un caso de paciente de 29 años con diagnóstico de preeclampsia grave quien describió deterioro de la agudeza visual repentino en el puerperio inmediato. El fondo de ojo fue normal. La paciente identificaba la luz intensa. Las pupilas estaban reactivas y no se observo la presencia de nistagmo. Se le realizó una resonancia magnética cuyos resultados fueron normales, por lo que se realizó el diagnóstico de amaurosis cortical aguda.

Acute cortical blindness is an uncommon and dramatic complication of preeclampsia. We present a case of a 29 years-old patient with diagnosis of severe preeclampsia who described a sudden loss of visual acuity during immediate puerperium. Fundi were normal. Pupils were reactive and there was no nystagmus A magnetic resonance were performed with normal results, because diagnosis of acute cortical blindness was done.

Cortical blindness associated with autonomic dysreflexia in a man with tetraplegia: a rare but serious complication.

CONTEXT: To describe a case of a 44-year-old man with complete C4 tetraplegia who developed transient cortical blindness in the subacute setting following episodes of autonomic dysreflexia. FINDINGS: Transient cortical blindness the day after surgery for appendicitis that had resulted in severe autonomic dysreflexia (AD) requiring aggressive blood pressure management. Imaging showed no evidence of acute stroke, but did show vasospasm in the occipital lobes. Vision improved over the next couple of months. CONCLUSION/CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This case illustrates a possible profound vasomotor phenomenon (cortical blindness) associated with AD and its symptomatic treatment. Early recognition of AD and treatment of its underlying cause cannot be overemphasized.

Spatial and temporal processing in a subject with cortical blindness following occipital surgery.

Blindsight subjects are typically better at discriminating rapid, transient visual events than those with gradual on/off-sets. Surprisingly, the detailed investigation of temporal characteristics of mechanisms mediating blindsight is only reported in one subject (GY). It is of interest to establish whether these characteristics are similar to those in other cases of blindsight. Here, we report on a systematic study of spatio-temporal properties of mechanisms mediating blindsight in a subject VN. VN has a lower right quadranopia following surgical removal of the left occipital cortex above the calcarine sulcus, therefore, there are no remaining islands of intact visual cortex within this area. Similar to GY, the blindsight mechanisms in VN have narrowly tuned band-pass temporal characteristics with a peak sensitivity at 20Hz and above chance performance at temporal frequencies >/=10 and

[A case of transient cortical blindness complicated by Henoch-Schönlein purpura with bronchiectasis].

A 19-year-old woman had been treated for bronchiectasis since she was born. In October 1995, she was diagnosed as Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) and HSP nephritis with the findings as follows; palpable petechial rash of legs, abdominal pain, arthralgias, and proteinuria. The administration of oral prednisolone was started, the clinical symptoms except for proteinuria was disappeared. However, nephrotic syndrome was continued despite the therapy of intravenous methylprednisolone pulse, various immunosuppressive drugs and warfarin. In February 1998, she was admitted to our hospital because of pneumonia. Several days later, her pneumonia improved on treatment with antibiotics, but she suddenly developed transient cortical blindness and acute renal failure. A provisional diagnosis of hypertensive encephalopathy and cerebral edema related to vasculitis was made, and she was treated with nifedipine, Glycelo, and high dose immunoglobulin. After the treatment, her vision and renal function had improved. She is a rare case associated with transient cortical blindness, bronchiectasis, and HSP.