Recovering vision function after post-traumatic bilateral occipital infarction

Visual impairment may occur in severe traumatic brain injury due to ischemia in the territory of the posterior cerebral arteries, usually secondary to the compressive effect of expanding collections. The resulting functional defect tends to be permanent; however, through mechanisms yet to be clarified, some patients recover aspects of visual function, with blindsight suggested as a potential mechanism. We present a peculiar case of gradual visual recovery after cortical blindness in a victim of a car accident, which resulted in bilateral occipital infarcts. We aim to raise awareness of this rare phenomenon and contribute to the recognition that visual loss can, in some cases and to a certain extent, be transient.