Phantom eye: features and prevalence. The predisposing role of headache.
We prospectively evaluated the frequency, time-course and predisposing factors of phantom eye syndrome in 53 patients who underwent surgical eye amputation to cure ocular cancer. Before surgery, patients were classified as Group I (n = 25) if they had no history of headache or Group II (n = 28) if they were headache sufferers. Three clinical patterns were distinguished: phantom pain, non-painful phantom phenomena and photopsias. Their symptoms developed 7 days to 6 months after surgery, with peak incidence after 6 months (photopsia 43%; phantom pain 28%; non-painful phantom phenomena 62%). Phantom eye syndrome was more common in headache sufferers than in non-headache subjects. Headache sufferers were more prone to phantom pain, but more so to non-painful phenomena and photopsias. These findings are in accord with our previous results indicating that primary headache sufferers are prone to phantom tooth pain.
Nicolodi
M
M
Interuniversity Headache Centre of Neurochemistry and Clinical Pharmacology of Idiopathic Headache, Florence, Italy.
Frezzotti
R
R
Diadori
A
A
Nuti
A
A
Sicuteri
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000671:Amputation, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005134:Eye Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence