[Retinopathy as a complication of acute pancreatitis]

We describe a case of acute, severe retinopathy in a patient with acute pancreatitis. The relative times of the organ manifestations, and comparisons with other published cases, strongly suggest that the pancreatitis was the cause of the retinal changes. This complication is unknown to most physicians, but ten to 12 cases have been published earlier. The pathogenesis is not known. We briefly discuss the significance of this complication and several possible pathogenetic mechanisms.