Optometry : journal of the American Optometric Association
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Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) involves nonthreatening hallucinations in patients who have no neurological and no psychological abnormalities but with significant visual impairment secondary to ocular disease, such as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Because of the fear of a mental illness being diagnosed, patients are often reluctant to discuss these hallucinations. ⋯ Management for these hallucinations includes treatment of the actual ocular disease as well as optimizing vision for the patient using appropriate low vision devices. As the population continues to age, more patients will be seen with reduced vision caused by a myriad of ocular diseases, increasing the likelihood that more patients may present with CBS in the future. It is therefore prudent to become familiar with the syndrome so primary care optometrists can properly identify CBS and help their patients deal with it.