Visual hallucinations: Charles Bonnet Syndrome

Abstract

The Charles Bonnet Syndrome is characterized by visual hallucinations that occur in people with severe sight loss and usually in elderly people with a normal mental state. This article discusses the characteristics of this syndrome as the etiology, pathophysiology and differential diagnosis, and is known diagnostic criteria for consideration in daily practice. Especially for optometrists be who sould be familiar with the signs and symptoms of this syndrome, as this group of patients almost always come first to consult optometrists. Even though the condition was published in the medical community for over 200 years ago, it has been rarely diagnosed due to the lack of knowledge about it. In optometric practice, it is suspected Charles Bonnet Syndrome especially in this age group with visual hallucinations and visual weakness or blindness, avoiding a psychiatric diagnosis wrong.