Pixelated vision: Validation of the complaint with no objective findings

Abstract

Background: We encountered a young female presenting with a complaint of “pixelated vision”. A brief literature search at the time of consultation showed no peer reviewed publications. Our objective was to use an infodemiologic approach to investigate the possible occurrence of an unidentified visual phenomenon.Methods: An Internet search with the metabrowser search engine Dogpile (www.dogpile.com) was conducted on April 24, 2018, using free text words “pixelated” and “vision.” The first 100 results were scanned for forum posts and cross-referenced to minimize duplication.Results: Of the first 100 results, 15 unique posts were identified. The majority of posts were made by the affected individual (n=14, 93%). Sex was female (n=5, 33%), male (n=2, 13%) or unknown (n=8, 53%). Onset was identified as new (n=10, 67%) or chronic (n=5, 33%).Conclusion: The availability and content of these forum postings suggest that pixelated vision is an uncommon, non-pathological visual phenomenon not yet documented in conventional medical literature.