Non‑ organic Visual Loss in Children
Authors:
L. Vaculová 1; J. Timkovič 1–3; D. Cholevík 1,2; H. Medřická 4; K. Panáčková 4
Authors‘ workplace:
Oční klinika LF OU a FN Ostrava
1; Katedra kraniofaciálních oborů, LF OU v Ostravě
2; LF MU, Brno
3; Oddělení dětské neurologie, FN Ostrava
4
Published in:
Cesk Slov Neurol N 2015; 78/111(5): 562-567
Category:
Short Communication
doi:
https://doi.org/10.14735/amcsnn2015562
Overview
Purpose:
The objective of the present paper is a description of clinical findings in four children with non-organic visual loss (NOVL).
Methods:
A retrospective case series analysis was performed on four girls who were followed up at the Ophthalmology Department of the University Hospital Ostrava from 1st January 2014 to 31st December 2014. The mean age of these patients was 13 years (median 14 years, range 9–17 years). Ophthalmological and neurological examinations were performed, including brain MRI, visual evocated potentials, electroretinography as well as lumbar puncture in one case. All girls were examined by a children psychologist.
Results:
An organic cause of reduced visual acuity was not identified in any of the four cases. The results of ophthalmological, neurological and other examinations (VEP, ERG, MRI, lumbar puncture) were negative. Psychological examination confirmed predominant psychosomatic background of the disorder in all cases. Visual acuity resolved completely in all patients after three psychotherapy sessions led by a child psychologist.
Conclusion:
Non-organic visual loss is a clinical diagnosis of inexplicable monocular or binocular visual acuity impairment without any organic eye disorder or general disease. Diagnostic process is lengthy and requires cooperation of various medical specialities. Psychotherapy is the primary therapeutic approach and should be supervised by an experienced child psychologist.
Key words:
non-organic visual loss – psychogenic vision disorders – childhood
The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study.
The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE “uniform requirements” for biomedical papers.
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Labels
Paediatric neurology Neurosurgery NeurologyArticle was published in
Czech and Slovak Neurology and Neurosurgery
2015 Issue 5
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