Occipital lobe lesions are most commonly caused by cerebrovascular diseases and traumatic brain injuries, while brain abscesses and brain tumors are relatively less common. The characteristics of these lesions include:
- Homonymous hemianopia with a high degree of congruency in both eyes.
- Sparing of the macula may occur due to the dual blood supply.
- No optic nerve atrophy and no Wernicke’s hemianopic pupillary reaction are observed.
- These lesions are generally not accompanied by other neurological symptoms.
Damage to the bilateral occipital cortex can result in cortical blindness. The clinical features of cortical blindness include:
- Complete blindness in both eyes.
- Normal pupillary light reflex.
- Normal findings on fundus examination.
- Abnormal visual evoked potential (VEP) findings, which can help distinguish cortical blindness from feigned blindness and hysteria.
Treatment
Management involves addressing the underlying condition.