Senile macular degeneration and psychosis.

Two cases are reported in which visual hallucinations occurred in elderly patients after the development of senile macular degeneration, a condition that causes gradual loss of visual acuity with preservation of peripheral vision. The hallucinatory experiences are interpreted as delusional explanations for pathologically altered vision, rather than as psychological or physiological consequences of sensory deprivation. Ocular pathology should be considered in the evaluation of psychotic states in the elderly.