[Charles Bonnet syndrome]

An 80-year old previously healthy woman with recent onset of binocular macular degeneration presented for clinical psychiatric evaluation of elaborate complex visual hallucinations. In the absence of other organic or psychiatric findings the patient maintained insight into the unreal nature of her visions. As neuroleptic drugs showed no effect, low dose treatment with carbamazepin resulted in disappearance of hallucinations. The phenomenon of Charles-Bonnet-syndrome is discussed as an example of a neuro-psychiatric hallucinosis.