Paroxysmal achromatopsia with hemianopia as early symptoms of parieto-occipital glioblastoma

Abstract

Report of a patient, who after a ski excursion and subsequent stay in a sauna, was suddenly aware of a shrinking of the right visual field and a simultaneous distinct loss of color vision.These symptoms disappeared the next day, except for some minor difficulties in reading. Neurological examination, including visual fields and color tests, showed normal conditions. Native and contrast-medium MRI, however, manifested a parieto-occipital space-occupying lesion. The brain tumor was radically extirpated by left temporo-occipital osteoplastic craniotomy. Histological diagnosis: glioblastoma multiforme, grade IV. Possible mechanisms of the subjective symptoms include tumor pressure, brain edema, circulatory disorders, or even focal epileptic seizure.