Anton's syndrome due to cerebrovascular disease: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Anton's syndrome describes the condition in which patients 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 centres are also affected, with patients typically behaving as if they were sighted. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case report of an 83-year-old white woman with cortical blindness as a result of bilateral occipital lobe infarcts. Despite her obvious blindness, illustrated by her walking into objects, the patient expressed denial of visual loss and demonstrated confabulation in her accounts of her surroundings, consistent with a diagnosis of Anton's syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: A suspicion of cortical blindness and Anton's syndrome should be considered in patients with atypical visual loss and evidence of occipital lobe injury. Cerebrovascular disease is the most common cause of Anton's syndrome, as in our patient. However, any condition that may result in cortical blindness can potentially lead to Anton's syndrome. Recovery of visual function will depend on the underlying aetiology, with cases due to occipital lobe infarction after cerebrovascular events being less likely to result in complete recovery. Management in these circumstances should accordingly focus on secondary prevention and rehabilitation.