Case report: Anton's syndrome due to ishemic cerebrovascular disease

Abstract

Anton's syndrome (AS) describes the condition in which patient deny their blindness despite objective evidence of visual loss, and moreover confabulate to support their stance. It is a rare extension of cortical blindness in which, in addition to the injury to the occipital cortex, other cortical centers are also affected, with patients typically behaving as if they were sighted. This case presents a 76-year-old patient with verified cortical blindness as a result of a stroke. The patient persistently denied vision loss. At the same time, she confabulated to see people and objects in her environment clearly. This syndrome may be unrecognized in routine neurological practice. A suspicion of cortical blindness and AS should be considered in patients with atypical visual loss and evidence of occipital lobe injury. Cerebrovascular disease is the most common cause of AS, as in our patient. Recovery of visual function will depend on the underlying etiology, with cases due to occipital lobe infarction after cerebrovascular events being less likely to result in complete recovery. Management in these circumstances should focus on secondary prevention and rehabilitation.