[A case of cortical blindness confirmed by single photon emission computerized tomography and visual evoked...

We reported a rare case of cortical blindness in cerebral ischemia following post-anoxic state confirmed by single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) and visual evoked potential. A 45-year-old woman who had been suffering from bronchial asthma was admitted to our hospital because of sudden progressive dyspnea and depressed consciousness. When she arrived at the hospital by ambulance, she was in hypoxic state and fell into cardiac arrest. Her respiratory condition gradually improved with respirator assistance, and she recovered consciousness, but complained of bilateral visual loss. She had no history of any neurological or psychiatric illness, nor of drug abuse. On neurological examination, she was alert and oriented. Light reflex, optic fundi, extraocular movement and other neurological findings were all normal, with the exception of bilateral blindness. EEG showed generalized slow background activity, but cranial CT scan and MRI showed no abnormalities. 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT indicated hypoperfusion in prominent bilateral occipital and parietal lobes. Simultaneous recordings of pattern reversal visual evoked potential (VEP) and electroretinograms (ERG) using transient checkerboard pattern reversal in 15 min and 30 min checks were recorded. The results showed normal b waves but absent P100 in the bilateral eyes. From the patient's neurological symptoms and the results of SPECT and VEP, she was diagnosed as cortical blindness in post-anoxic state. On the 30th hospital day, her visual acuity and visual fields improved, but she was suspected of having visual agnosia. Eighty-five days after the onset of the neurological abnormalities, no traces of visual disturbances were observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)