J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2007 Apr;78(4):423-6.

A lightning strike to the head causing a visual cortex defect with simple and complex visual hallucinations.

Kleiter I, Luerding R, Diendorfer G, Rek H, Bogdahn U, Schalke B.

Source

Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstr 84, 93042 Regensburg, Germany. ingo.kleiter@klinik.uni-regensburg.de

Abstract

The case of a 23-year-old mountaineer who was hit by a lightning strike to the occiput causing a large central visual field defect and bilateral tympanic membrane ruptures is described. Owing to extreme agitation, the patient was set to a drug-induced coma for 3 days. After extubation, she experienced simple and complex visual hallucinations for several days, but otherwise recovered largely. Neuropsychological tests revealed deficits in fast visual detection tasks and non-verbal learning, and indicated a right temporal lobe dysfunction, consistent with a right temporal focus on electroencephalography. Four months after the accident, she developed a psychological reaction consisting of nightmares with reappearance of the complex visual hallucinations and a depressive syndrome. Using the European Cooperation for Lightning Detection network, a meteorological system for lightning surveillance, the exact geographical location and nature of the lightning flash were retrospectively retraced.

PMID:: 17369595; [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
PMCID: PMC2077776

Free PMC Article

Images from this publication.See all images (1) Free text

Publication Types, MeSH Terms

Publication Types

Case Reports

MeSH Terms

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Other Literature Sources

Supplemental Content

Related citations

[Simple partial seizure consisting of complex visual hallucinations due to left temporo-occipital lesion]. [Rinsho Shinkeigaku. 1996]
[Simple partial seizure consisting of complex visual hallucinations due to left temporo-occipital lesion].
Takahashi N, Kawamura M. Rinsho Shinkeigaku. 1996 May; 36(5):665-9.
[Formed visual hallucination after excision of the right temporo parietal cystic meningioma--a case report]. [Brain Nerve. 2010]
[Formed visual hallucination after excision of the right temporo parietal cystic meningioma--a case report].
Yoshimura M, Uchiyama Y, Kaneko A, Hayashi N, Yamanaka K, Iwai Y. Brain Nerve. 2010 Aug; 62(8):893-7.
[Complex visual hallucinations in the hemianopic field following an ischemic lesion of the occipitotemporal base--confirmation of the lesion by MRI and speculations on the pathophysiology]. [No To Shinkei. 1996]
[Complex visual hallucinations in the hemianopic field following an ischemic lesion of the occipitotemporal base--confirmation of the lesion by MRI and speculations on the pathophysiology].
Waragai M, Takaya Y, Hayashi M. No To Shinkei. 1996 Apr; 48(4):371-6.
Review Visual hallucinations after enucleation. [Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg. 1997]
Review Visual hallucinations after enucleation.
Gross ND, Wilson DJ, Dailey RA. Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg. 1997 Sep; 13(3):221-5.
Review [Complex visual hallucination in the quadrantanopsic field in a patient with a medial temporal hematoma following left putaminal hemorrhage]. [Rinsho Shinkeigaku. 2000]
Review [Complex visual hallucination in the quadrantanopsic field in a patient with a medial temporal hematoma following left putaminal hemorrhage].
Ii Y, Sakai T, Kuzuhara S. Rinsho Shinkeigaku. 2000 Jan; 40(1):19-23.

See reviews... See all...

Cited by 1 PubMed Central article

Correspondence (letter to the editor): Effects on the Nervous System. [Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2008]
Correspondence (letter to the editor): Effects on the Nervous System.
Kleiter I, Schulte-Mattler W, Schalke B. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2008 Mar; 105(12):224. Epub 2008 Mar 21.

Related information

Related Citations
Calculated set of PubMed citations closely related to the selected article(s) retrieved using a word weight algorithm. Related articles are displayed in ranked order from most to least relevant, with the “linked from” citation displayed first.
References for this PMC Article
Citation referenced in PubMed article. Only valid for PubMed citations that are also in PMC.
Free in PMC
Free full text articles in PMC
Cited in PMC
Full-text articles in the PubMed Central Database that cite the current articles.

Recent activity

Clear Turn Off Turn On

A lightning strike to the head causing a visual cortex defect with simple and co...
A lightning strike to the head causing a visual cortex defect with simple and complex visual hallucinations.
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2007 Apr ;78(4):423-6.

PubMed
Individual differences in mathematical competence predict parietal brain activat...
Individual differences in mathematical competence predict parietal brain activation during mental calculation.
Neuroimage. 2007 Nov 1 ;38(2):346-56. Epub 2007 Aug 11 .

PubMed
Sequence-based prediction of type III secreted proteins.
Sequence-based prediction of type III secreted proteins.
PLoS Pathog. 2009 Apr ;5(4):e1000376. Epub 2009 Apr 24 .

PubMed
Denpasar Declaration on Population and Development.
Denpasar Declaration on Population and Development.
Integration. 1994 Jun ;(40):27-9.

PubMed
Unawareness in schizophrenia: neuropsychological and neuroanatomical findings.
Unawareness in schizophrenia: neuropsychological and neuroanatomical findings.
Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2006 Oct ;60(5):531-7.

PubMed

Your browsing activity is empty.

Activity recording is turned off.

Turn recording back on

PubMed

Display Settings:

Send to: