Carmela Fawcett-Martínez, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá; Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá; Colombia
Carlos A. Guzmán-Serrano, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali, Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Nayeh Arana, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
Andrés F. Cárdenas, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá; Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá; Colombia
Juliana Coral-Casas, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá; Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá; Colombia
Daniel Nariño, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá; Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá; Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali, Cali, Valle del Cauca; Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá; Colombia
Visual hallucinations are defined as perceptions that occur in the absence of external stimuli, which can be classified as simple, such as geometric shapes or flashes of light, and complex, including representations of people, objects, or animals. These experiences are associated with various medical conditions, such as neurodegenerative diseases (Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease), migraines with aura, epilepsy, and Alice in Wonderland syndrome, as well as psychiatric disorders, the use of psychoactive substances, and ophthalmological pathologies like macular degeneration, among others. This review aims to compile the main characteristics of visual hallucinations according to the aforementioned pathologies to optimize diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, adjusting to necessary strategies and the particularities of each patient.
Keywords: Visual hallucinations. Neurodegeneration. Differential diagnosis. Clinical approach.