Bilateral hemianopia and headache following rupture of a cerebral aneurysm

Abstract

A 64-year-old woman experienced acute onset of headache and isolated bilateral homonymous hemianopia. She was found to have a subarachnoid hemorrhage secondary to the rupture of a posterior communicating aneurysm. The isolated occurrence of the association of cerebral blindness and headache is uncommon. It has been described in occipital lobe infarction, unilateral occipital hematoma from a ruptured arteriovenous malformation and cerebral venous thrombosis in the post-partum period. This case indicates that bilateral homonymous hemianopia and headache can also occur following the rupture of a cerebral aneurysm.

Key Words:

• bilateral hemianopia
• cerebral aneurysm
• subarachnoid hemorrhage
• cerebral blindness