Short communicationComplex visual hallucinations (Charles Bonnet syndrome) in the hemianopic visual field following occipital infarction
Introduction
Complex visual hallucinations with insight (Charles Bonnet syndrome) have been reported following profound visual loss in conditions like age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or even enucleation as well as following intracranial surgical procedures where the visual pathway is disrupted resulting in a decreased visual sensory input into the cortex. We report a case of Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) with symptoms in the hemianopic field following an occipital lobe infarct.
Section snippets
Case report
A 74-year-old male with a history of Type 2 diabetes, ischaemic heart disease, coronary artery bypass grafting, carotid endarterectomy (left), bronchial asthma and left hemiparesis from a previous cerebrovascular accident presented with a loss of vision on the right side happening one morning together with a sensation of flushing and mild giddiness. He was admitted and assessed. He was found on initial assessment to have right homonymous hemianopia and no other neuro deficit apart from the
Discussion
Charles Bonnet described in 1769 the visual hallucinations of his grandfather who was blind due to cataracts [1]. Georges de Morsier in 1936 defined CBS as formed visual hallucinations in the psychologically normal elderly patient in association with eye disease, although he denied that eye disease was the cause for the hallucinations. In a much later review article published in 1967, he omitted eye disease from this definition stressing merely on old age and absence of a mental disorder [2].
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