Charles Bonnet syndrome: visual loss and hallucinations

Visual Hallucinations: Charles Bonnet Syndrome

The following is a case of Charles Bonnet syndrome in an 86-year-old woman who presented with visual hallucinations. The differential diagnosis of visual hallucinations is broad and emergency physicians should be knowledgeable of the possible etiologies.

Cases: Charles Bonnet syndrome: visual loss and hallucinations.

69-year-old man presented to his doctor with complaints of visual hallucinations that first occurred 6 months before presentation. He reported having hallucinations most evenings. He saw the faces of people, odd shapes, animals and a spider, which he had tried to kill. He also reported seeing people that he knew sitting in the armchair next to his night table. The patient had no history of mood...

Vision loss and visual hallucinations: the Charles Bonnet syndrome

Around half the people presenting with acquired severe sight loss will at some point experience visual hallucinations. This is a little-known fact, not only amongst patients, but also amongst a significant number of health and eye care professionals. The condition is known as Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) and is named after the naturalist who first described this phenomenon in 1759. Although vi...

Relating Simple and Complex Visual Hallucinations in Charles Bonnet Syndrome

Visual loss and visual hallucinations in patients with age-related macular degeneration (Charles Bonnet syndrome).

PURPOSE The condition in which visual hallucinations (VHs) are solely associated with a visual impairment is termed Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS). The study was undertaken to investigate whether the extent of visual acuity (VA) loss and central visual field loss predisposes a patient with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to develop a CBS VH and, in addition, whether the progression in los...