Visual disturbances and transurethral resection of the prostate: the TURP syndrome

A 73-year-old man with a history of a cerebral and a cardiac vascular disease and atrial flutter developed visual disturbances characterized by vision being dark in both eyes and by seeing as through a color photographic negative immediately after an uncomplicated transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for prostatic hyperplasia under spinal anesthesia. There was complete remission of the symptomatology after 2.5 h. A cerebrovascular workup was negative. Considering postoperative hyponatremia and hypoosmality, we discuss the possible role of glycine-induced visual disturbances as described in the TURP reaction syndrome, to our knowledge an entity almost unknown in the neurologic literature. Glycine-induced visual disturbances should therefore be considered in the differential diagnosis of bilateral transient visual loss.