Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1983 Jun;46(6):566–569. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.46.6.566

Postictal blindness in adults.

M Sadeh, Y Goldhammer, A Kuritsky
PMCID: PMC1027452  PMID: 6410006

Abstract

Cortical blindness following grand mal seizures occurred in five adult patients. The causes of seizures included idiopathic epilepsy, vascular accident, brain cyst, acute encephalitis and chronic encephalitis. Blindness was permanent in one patients, but the others recovered within several days. Since most of the patients were either unaware of or denied their blindness, it is possible that this event often goes unrecognised. Cerebral hypoxia is considered the most likely mechanism.

Full text

PDF
566

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barnet A. B., Manson J. I., Wilner E. Acute cerebral blindness in childhood. Six cases studied clinically and electrophysiologically. Neurology. 1970 Dec;20(12):1147–1156. doi: 10.1212/wnl.20.12.1147. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Drymalski W. G. Cortical blindness: the changing incidence and shifting etiology. Postgrad Med. 1980 Apr;67(4):149-52, 155-6. doi: 10.1080/00325481.1980.11715430. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. EFRON R. Post-epileptic paralysis: theoretical critique and report of a case. Brain. 1961 Sep;84:381–394. doi: 10.1093/brain/84.3.381. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Engel J., Jr, Ludwig B. I., Fetell M. Prolonged partial complex status epilepticus: EEG and behavioral observations. Neurology. 1978 Sep;28(9 Pt 1):863–869. doi: 10.1212/wnl.28.9.863. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. FIUME S. L'amaurosi nell'epilessia. Riv Neurol. 1958 Jan-Feb;28(1):43–55. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Huott A. D., Madison D. S., Niedermeyer E. Occipital lobe epilepsy. A clinical and electroencephalographic study. Eur Neurol. 1974;11(6):325–339. doi: 10.1159/000114331. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kosnik E., Paulson G. W., Laguna J. F. Postictal blindness. Neurology. 1976 Mar;26(3):248–250. doi: 10.1212/wnl.26.3.248. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Meyer J. S., Gotoh F., Favale E. Cerebral metabolism during epileptic seizures in man. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1966 Jul;21(1):10–22. doi: 10.1016/0013-4694(66)90054-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Olurin O. Cortical blindness following convulsions and fever in Nigerian children. Pediatrics. 1970 Jul;46(1):102–107. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Plum F., Howse D. C., Duffy T. E. Metabolic effects of seizures. Res Publ Assoc Res Nerv Ment Dis. 1974;53:141–157. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Pritchard E. Case of Amaurosis following Violent Convulsions. Proc R Soc Med. 1918;11(SECT):1–2. doi: 10.1177/003591571801101601. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Sabah A. H. Blindness after cardiac arrest. Postgrad Med J. 1968 Jul;44(513):513–516. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.44.513.513. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Salmon J. H. Transient postictal hemianopsia. Arch Ophthalmol. 1968 May;79(5):523–525. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1968.03850040525004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Wasterlain C. G. Mortality and morbidity from serial seizures. An experimental study. Epilepsia. 1974 Jun;15(2):155–176. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1974.tb04939.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES