Peduncular Hallucinosis As a Transient Ischemic Attack
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• • Peduncular hallucinosis as a transient ischemic attack CARL WENZEL, DO LOUIS PEARLSTEIN, DO Peduncular hallucinosis is described a variety of visual patterns and figures. characterized by vivid hallucinations as The disturbances included curtains ruilling in the sociated with organic midbrain disease. In house in the absence of a blowing wind, black lines the case reported here, the computed to circling the mouth of her daughter, and red and mography brain scan showed basilar ar green puffs of air floating in the room. These dis terial atherosclerotic disease with central turbances were perceived binocularly. The patient and cortical atrophy. Carotid imaging re stated that she was not frightened by the distur bances, and that she was well aware that they were vealed bilateral stenosis. The electroen not real. cephalogram and magnetic resonance im Review of systems revealed only a mild frontal aging of the midbrain revealed no abnor headache. There was no history of tonic-clonic ac malities. The patient's symptoms resolved tivity, loss of consciousness, focal numbness, weak completely in 48 hours. This is believed to ness, or language disturbance. The patient denied be the first report of peduncular hallu having auditory hallucinations. There was no per cinosis as the manifestation of a transient sonal or family history of migraine headaches, epi ischemic attack syndrome. lepsy, or schizophrenia. The patient's medical his (Key words: Peduncular hallucinosis, tory included hypertension and angina, for which transient ischemic attack syndrome, vis she was treated with propranolol hydrochloride and ual hallucinations, midbrain infarctions) furosemide. Significant in the surgical history was bilateral cataract surgery with intraocular lens im plants; the patient's visual acuity was 20/40 ocu Peduncular hallucinations are vivid, non lus dexter and 20/25 oculus sinister after the pro stereotypical, often colorful images of geomet cedure. The patient had used alcohol and tobacco ric patterns and animate and inanimate minimally in the past. objects associated with structural midbrain dis The hallucinations resolved completely within ease. We report a case of typical peduncular 24 hours, only to recur briefly 24 hours later . The hallucinosis that resolved over 48 hours, dem hallucinations resolved again before the patient's onstrating the possibility for peduncular hal discharge from the hospital and have not returned. lucinosis to be the manifestation of a transient ischemic attack syndrome, that is, a revers Discussion ibl~ ischemic neurologic deficit. To our knowl Peduncular hallucinations are a rare cause of edge, this is the first time peduncular hallu visual disturbance. Many diseases affecting cinosis has been reported as a transient the midbrain can cause peduncular hallucina ischemic attack syndrome. tions, including vascular, neoplastic, or infec tious disease, as well as intoxications. Such Report of case hallucinations most often result when exten An 84-year-old, right-handed woman was seen with sive damage has occurred to midbrain struc visual disturbances of sudden onset. The patient tures; however, there have been reportsl of From the Department of Internal Medicine, Delaware such hallucinations with only minimal patholo Valley Medical Center, Langhorne, Pa (Drs Wenzel and Pearlstein), and the Department of Neurology, Hahne gic change in the midbrain. When a patient mann University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa (Dr has visual hallucinations in the presence of Pearlstein). clinical evidence of brain-stem abnormalities, Reprint requests to Louis Pearlstein, DO, Neshaminy Plaza II, Suite 124, 3070 Bristol Pike, Bensalem, PA the clinician should consider peduncular hal 19020. lucinations. Case report • Wenzel and Pearlstein JAOA • Vol 93 • No 1 • J anuary 1993 • 129 The patient was awake; alert, and coopera puts have been partially or completely re tive. The blood pressure was 160/80 mm Hg. moved and may be likened to the phantom The pulse was 86 beats per minute and regu limb phenomenon. West4 theorized that the lar, and the temperature was 98.6°F (37°C). brain is constantly presented with innumer A right carotid bruit was noted. Findings of able sensory stimuli. The brain then decides heart, lung, abdominal, and extremity exami from these stimuli that which is needed to main nations were essentially normal. Neurologic tain 'consciousness and ignores those that are examination revealed a normal mental status not. When this i¢ormational input level is· dis including language and praxis. Cranial nerve rupted, "percepts" or "memory traces" may be evaluation demonstrated a mild, right central, released as hallucinations. Therefore, removal facial weakness and irregular but reactive pu of visual stimuli via disrupted visual pathways pils with iridectomy defects. Extraocular mo would decrease the amount of material pre tility was intact. Funduscopic evaluation sented to the brain, a situation leading to hal showed mild hypertensive retinopathy. lucinations as a manifestation of a visual re Strength was full at + 5/5,and the deep ten lease phenomenon. Visual hallucinations sec don reflexes were symmetrically 2 + /4. A pro ondary to sensory deprivation have been de nator drift of the right arm was noted. Plan scribed in patients with blindness from many tar reflexes were downgoing. Cerebellar and causes,5-7 as well as in patients with visual sensory systems were normal. The gait was field 10ss.8 Peduncular hallucinations are be normal. lieved to occur because visual input to the A computed tomography (CT) scan of the rapid-eye-movement brainstem nuclei and lim brain revealed atherosclerotic disease of the bic structures has been removed. 1 basilar artery, as well as central and cortical Pathologic examination of peduncular hal atrophy. Carotid imaging demonstrated bilat lucinosis patients at autopsy has demonstrated eral atherosclerotic disease with 50% stenosis extensive pathologic alteration ofthe brain in of the right internal carotid artery and 10% some, whereas in others, only minimal focal stenosis of the left internal carotid artery, with mesencephalic involvement in the pars reticu out flow changes. An electroencephalogram laris of the substantia nigra has been found. 1 showed normal waves. Magnetic resonance im Magnetic resonance imaging may demonstrate aging demonstrated diffuse small vessel dis pathologic change in the clinical setting and ease in the subcortical white matter, with no help to confirm the clinical suspicion ofpedun discrete lesions identified in the brain stem. cular hallucinosis. Laboratory studies including immunofluores cence for antinuclear antibodies gave normal Comment or negative results. We describe a patient with peduncular hallu Cogan2 separated visual hallucinations into cinosis whose symptoms improved over 24 excitatory (irritative) and release phenomena. hours and resolved completely in 48 hours. Mag Excitatory visual hallucinations, first de netic resonance imaging of the midbrain gave scribed by Jackson3 in 1889, are analogous to normal results. This is the first report ofpedun epileptogenic discharges with associated sen cular hallucinosis as a transient ischemic at sory symptoms. These types of hallucinations tack syndrome. We believe the prognosis is simi usually arise from the occipital or temporal lar to that of other transient ischemic attack lobes. If the occipital lobe is involved, the pa syndromes. tient may describe unformed flashes of light that are white, colored, or zigzag. Temporal lobe foci produce complex, and frequently, References formed visual imagery. 1. McKee AC , Levin DN, Kowall W, et al: Peduncular hallu cinosis associated with isolated infarction of the substantia ni Release hallucinations are believed to be the gra pars reticulata. Ann Neurol1990;27:500-504 . 2 result of sensory deprivation. ,4 This type of 2. Cogan DG: Visual hallucinations as release phenomenon. hallucination occurs when normal visual in- A rch Klin Exp Ophthalmol 1973;118:139-150. (continued on page 133) 130 • JAOA • Vol 93 • No 1 • J anuary 1993 Case report • Wenzel and Pearlstein 3. Jackson IN: On a particular variety of epilepsy (intellectual Ophthalmal Sac 1916;36:412-444. aura): One case with symptoms of organic brain disease. Brain 6. Weinberger LM, Grant FC: Visual hallucinations and their 1889;11:179-207. neuro-optical correlates (review). Arch Ophthalmol1940;23:166- 4. West CJ: Hallucinations. New York, NY, Grune & Stratton, 199. 1962. 7. Peatfield RC , Rose FC: Migrainous visual symptoms in a 5. Uulson SAK: Dysmetropsia and its pathogenesis. Trans woman without eyes. Arch N eural 1981;38:466. Case report· Wenzel and Pearlstein JAOA . Vol 93 • No 1 • January 1993 • 133 .