Cortical blindness in preeclampsia : case report

Abstract EN

Bilateral infarction in the distal posterior cerebral arteries produces cortical blindness (blindness with preserved pupillary reaction).

The patient is often unaware of the blindness or may even deny it (Anton's syndrome, which is a form of anosognosia due to compromize of the visual association centre)(1,2).

Tiny islands of vision may persist, and the patient may report that vision fluctuates as images are captured in the preserved portions(1).

Preeclampsia is associated with abnormalities of cerebral circulatory autoregulation, which increase the risk of stroke at near normal blood pressures(3).

During focal brain ischemia, a gradation in brain perfusion exists such that a core of tissue is infarcted within minutes but a shell of surrounding tissue is only marginally ischemic.

This ischemic penumbra may progress to infarction within minutes to hours(4).