Localization of hemiachromatopsia

Impaired color perception with relative preservation of form vision (achromatopsia) caused by cerebral lesions was first described over a century ago. However, for many years some researchers questioned the existence of an area of cerebral cortex apart from the primary visual cortex specialized in color processing. The development of sophisticated structural and functional neuroimaging techniques has allowed verification of the cortical structures important in color perception. We describe a case of a patient with impaired color perception in one hemifield of vision (hemiachromatopsia) and compare the localization of the lesion with previous cases described in the literature. These cases show that lesions of the ventromedial occipital cortex can impair color perception and leave form vision intact.