Charles Bonnet Syndrome Following a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) describes the presence of hallucinations in patients with poor or deteriorating vision. The physician awareness of CBS is low, despite reporting of CBS hallucinations occurring in a range of ocular and central nervous system conditions. Following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), patients can experience visual or oculomotor dysfunction. As such, it is possible that CBS might present following mTBI. An adult male suffered an mTBI and whiplash injury following a motor vehicle accident. He developed persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS) including headaches and vestibular and visual disturbances. He reported experiencing visual hallucinations eight months post-mTBI and was diagnosed with CBS. Interventions for PPCS and hallucinations have persisted for five years. The treatment options for CBS are limited and the patient's PPCS made participating in visual therapy challenging. Physicians assessing patients following mTBI should be aware of CBS and should take PPCS into consideration when recommending treatments for CBS.