Charles bonnet syndrome: A case report

Abstract

Charles Bonnet Syndrome is defined as visual hallucination in visually impaired individuals who have intact cognitive skills and who have no psychiatric disorder or neurological lesion/abnormality finding. In this presentation; a case with bilateral primary optic atrophy secondary visual hallucination has been evaluated as Charles Bonnet Syndrome and has been discussed this case. A 74-year-old male, literate, married, retired. Bilateral optic nerve damage has developed in the patient due to a car accident that occurred 30 years ago. The patient who has been diagnosed with glaucoma 5 years ago has been unable to meet his daily needs for the last 2 years. The patient has begun to see mice that other people have not seen in the last 3 months. Necessary psychiatric, neurological and ophthalmic evaluations of the patient who applied to our clinic with these complaints were performed. In the ophthalmic examination performed; light sensation was reported as negative in both eyes. The patient was treated as Charles Bonnet Syndrome and the out patient clinic was treated. Previous studies have indicated that most patients with Charles Bonnet Syndrome didn't report their symptoms to family members or physicians in order not to be stigmatized by psychiatric illness. This case report emphasizes the importance of being able to find appropriate approaches to such cases, which may be lack of information between physicians and which are likely to be misdiagnosed.