Occipital hypoperfusion in a patient with psychogenic visual disturbance.

A patient with bilateral diminished visual acuity and blurred vision was given the diagnosis of psychogenic visual disturbance after extensive psychiatric and ophthalmological examinations. Single photon emission computed tomography with Tc-99m-ethylcysteinate dimer demonstrated remarkably reduced regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the bilateral occipital lobes. More specifically, rCBF was reduced in the visual association areas, but not in the primary visual areas. These findings suggest that functional suppression of the visual association area is associated with the development of psychogenic visual disturbance.