Posterior cerebral artery occlusion without hemianopia

A 42-year-old man had ischemic infarction from an occlusion of the left posterior cerebral artery (PCA), but had no visual field defect by examination or Goldmann perimetry. Arteriograms showed distal filling of the occluded PCA, but no collateral blood flow from the carotid circulation, suggesting collateral flow from leptomeningeal anastomoses. Visual field sparing may occur in surgical occlusion of the PCA, but rarely occurs in stroke. An infarction from PCA occlusion is not excluded by complete visual field sparing, and studies looking for other causes of the neurologic deficit may not be necessary.