Dr. NAREDI SUNIL RAMJIWAN

Abstract

First described by Charles Bonnet in 1760, typically CBS occurs when patients lose vision from diseases like age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, or diabetic retinopathy. Without visual data coming in through the eyes, the brain fills the void and makes up images or recalls stored images for you to see. This is what causes the simple and complex visual hallucinations of CBS and lasts for 1-2 years. Older adults (> 65 years) with significant vision loss, the prevalence of Charles Bonnet syndrome has been reported to be between 10% and 40%, CBS is well understood but less treated entity by Ophthalmologist, most important is to identify the disease and risks associated with hallucinations which makes life worse. Proper counselling and rehabilitation with/without consultation of Psychiatrist is important, at times Psychopharmacotherapy can be of some help in the cases which responds unfavorably to counselling.