PHANTOM EYE - FEATURES AND PREVALENCE - THE PREDISPOSING ROLE OF HEADACHE

We prospectively evaluated the frequency, time-course and predisposing factors of phantom eye syndrome in 53 patients who underwent surgical eye amputation to cure ocular cancer. Before surgery, patients were c lassified as Group I (n=25) if they had no history of headache or Grou p II (n=28) if they were headache sufferers. Three clinical patterns w ere distinguished: phantom pain, non-painful phantom phenomena and pho topsias. Their symptoms developed 7 days to 6 months after surgery, wi th peak incidence after 6 months (photopsia 43%; phantom pain 28%; non -painful phantom phenomena 62%). Phantom eye syndrome was more common in headache sufferers than in non-headache subjects. Headache sufferer s were more prone to phantom pain, but more so to non-painful phenomen a and photopsias. These findings are in accord with our previous resul ts indicating that primary headache sufferers are prone to phantom too th pain.