Visual Hallucinations
August 24th, 2017
Overview
Interpretation
- Simple visual hallucinations - flashes, dots, colours, patternsSuggestive of ocular pathology, seizure or migraine aura
- Complex visual hallucinations - objects, animals, peopleSuggestive of Lewy body dementia or delirium, though can occur in severe psychosis
- Autoscopic hallucinations: a visual hallucination of the patient's own self.
- Anton's syndrome (cortical blindness): the patient reports that they are able to see and can describe the world around them, despite clear evidence that they are blindOccurs in the setting of bilateral occipital strokes
Causes of Visual Hallucinations
- Sensory deprivation in normal people
- Dementia with Lewy Bodies
- Delirium
- Severe psychosis
- Anton's syndrome (cortical blindness)
- Migraine aura
- Seizure
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------