Anton's syndrome in a patient with posttraumatic optic neuropathy and bifrontal contusions
K. D. McDaniel and L. D. McDaniel
Department of Neurology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, NY.
We describe a patient who manifested Anton's syndrome after sustaining head
trauma that resulted in optic nerve damage and bifrontal contusions. Denial
of monocular blindness, generalized anosognosia, and confabulation were
prominent neurobehavioral features. Anton's syndrome is most commonly
encountered in patients with bilateral occipital cortex lesions. Patients
previously described who demonstrated Anton's syndrome secondary to a
peripheral lesion have had an associated delirium or profound dementia. Our
case demonstrates that Anton's syndrome may occur in association with
blindness from a peripheral lesion, even in the absence of a delirium or
significant dementia. We suggest that the bifrontal dysfunction may have
been a critical factor in the production of Anton's syndrome. Implications
for the role of frontal lobe dysfunction in the genesis of anosognosia and
confabulation are discussed.
