Nonorganic Vision Loss in Children

Abstract

Some children, usually between the ages of 6 and 10, present with vision loss that cannot be explained on the basis of the physical findings. Studies exploring the possibilities of retinal, optic nerve, or cortical abnormalities yield normal results, yet the child has a variable combination of visual acuity loss, color vision defects, stereo acuity loss, and visual field deficits. While malingering adults who fake vision loss are generally after monetary compensation or other tangible gains, children with nonorganic vision loss generally fall into one of two groups: (1) Those who want their parents to buy them glasses, many times because their friends have them and they do not, and (2) those who utilize, most of the time in a subconscious fashion, the vision loss to gain the attention of their family members and the eye doctor because of an underlying anxiety-producing situation such as stress at home or in school or sometimes abuse or psychiatric illness.