CHARLES-BONNET-SYNDROME IN GIANT-CELL ARTERITIS

A 76-year-old woman developed transient loss of visual acuity secondar y to giant cell arteritis involving ophthalmic arteries and the unusua l feature of visual hallucinations; these are the features of the Char les Bonnet syndrome. Hallucinations were experienced only in the regio n of the visual field defect, suggesting that sensory deprivation, rat her than a central lesion, was responsible. Temporal arteritis should be an early consideration in elderly people having hallucinations.