Cortical blindness and late postpartum eclampsia.

Blindness developed in a 22-year-old woman five days postpartum. She developed recurrent generalized tonic-clonic seizures despite early institution of intravenous magnesium sulphate. After a loading dose of phenytoin was given, the seizures stopped and the blindness gradually resolved. A review of the literature pertaining to blindness and eclampsia is presented and the use of phenytoin is discussed.