Anton syndrome (denial-visual hallucination syndrome)

General: Cause unknown, but isolation of diencephalon from o 131d33b ccipital lobe would be necessary to result in the features of the syndrome; lesions of the calcarine-thalamic connections or bilateral destruction of the occipital regions have been claimed to cause denial of blindness; the disease is rare and little understood; has been reported in association with blindness from a peripheral lesion such as bifrontal contusions and optic nerve damage.

Ocular: Denial of blindness; patients may persistently deny having any loss of visual perception; the objects the patient describes and claims to see are regarded as visual hallucinations; visual field hemianopsia.

Clinical: Confabulation; allocheiria (reference of a sensation is made to the opposite side to which the stimulus is applied).

Anton G. Ueber die Selbstwahrnehmung der Herderkrankung des Gehirns durch den Kranken bei Rindentaubheit. Arch Psychiatr Nervenkr 1899; 32:86.

Magalini SI, Scrascia E. Dictionary of Medical Syndromes, 2nd ed. Philadelphia: JB Lippincott, 1981.

McDaniel KD, McDaniel LD. Anton's syndrome in a patient with posttraumatic optic neuropathy and bifrontal contusions. Arch Neurol 1991; 48:101-l05.

Tyler HR. Cerebral disorders of vision. In: Smith JL, ed. Neuro-Ophthalmology, vol. IV. St. Louis: CV Mosby, 1968.