Peduncular hallucinosis associated with a pontine cavernoma

Abstract

Peduncluar hallucinosis is a rare neurological disorder characterized by visual hallucinations, often described to be vivid and dream-like. While the exact pathophysiology has yet to be elucidated, most cases to date have suggested an etiology stemming from lesions to the thalamus or midbrain. Here presented is a case of a 54-year-old female with peduncular hallucinosis secondary to a pontine cavernoma hemorrhage in the setting of essential hypertension. The patient’s vivid visual and auditory hallucinations aligned temporally with the the lesion’s discovery and resolved after pharmaceutical treatment. This case represents a rare form of peduncular hallucinosis secondary to a pontine cavernoma hemorrhage leading to vasospasm in the arteries feeding the brainstem.