Purtscher's retinopathy associated with acute pancreatitis.

The association of Purtscher's retinopathy with acute pancreatitis has been noted only recently in the ophthalmic literature. Patients with acute pancreatitis may develop a retinopathy indistinguishable from the typical Purtscher's retinopathy seen in bone-crushing injuries. The etiology of this phenomenon has been linked to fat necrosis and involvement of complement and the immune system.