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CASE REPORT
Cortical blindness due to cerebral infarct in advanced pancreatic cancer
  1. Nivedita Nimesh1,
  2. Sanjeev Kumar Verma2 and
  3. Sanjiv Kumar Gupta1
  1. 1 Ophthalmology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
  2. 2 Pediatrics, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
  1. Correspondence to Dr Sanjeev Kumar Verma, drsanjeev78{at}gmail.com

Abstract

A 65-year-old man, a known case of advanced pancreatic cancer on cisplatin and gemcitabine-based chemotherapy, presented with sudden bilateral painless loss of vision with altered sensorium. Clinical examination showed a normal pupillary light reaction, normal anterior segment and normal fundus. MRI brain showed bilateral parieto-occipital infarct. This report highlights the incidence of cortical blindness due to thromboembolism at the cerebral level in pancreatic cancer. Cerebral ischaemic events occur at an advanced stage of pancreatic cancer already diagnosed at stroke onset and portend a poor prognosis. Anticoagulation therapy, especially low molecular weight heparin, remains the best strategy to prevent recurrences.

  • pancreatic cancer
  • stroke
  • visual pathway
  • venous thromboembolism

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Footnotes

  • Contributors NN and SKV prepared the manuscript. SKV and SKG gave the final draft.

  • Funding The authors have declared no specific grant or monetary support for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

  • Patient consent for publication Next of kin consent obtained.