Central pontine myelinolysis manifested by temporary blindness: a possible complication of lithium toxicity.

Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) is removal of myelin material from neural elements in a way that is not clearly known as yet. In this case of CPM, blindness was encountered and was thought to be "hysterical." The blindness went away after four months. After reviewing the literature we suggest the CPM was a complication of lithium toxicity which affected the lateral geniculate nucleus which produced blindness.