Subjective oscillopsia ("jiggling" vision) presumably due to aminoglycoside ototoxicity. A report of two cases

Following aminoglycoside antibiotic therapy, two patients developed self-limited subjective oscillopsia in the absence of a detectable ocular motility disturbance (nystagmus or opsoclonus). Oscillopsia represents a rare, but highly distressing symptom resulting from disruption of the vestibulo-ocular reflex, producing profound illusory movement of the visual environment. Although the differential diagnosis includes vascular, inflammatory, and structural disorders impacting on either the central or peripheral projections of this brainstem reflex, iatrogenic aminoglycoside ototoxicity was the likely explanation in the two patients presented. Ways of minimizing the risk of aminoglycoside toxicity are briefly reviewed.