Transient cortical blindness with occipital lobe epilepsy.

Three youths with occipital seizures and intermittent visual loss are presented. All three had occipital epileptiform discharges. Visual loss occurred during seizures and improved with anticonvulsant medication. In the absence of an underlying structural lesion of the occipital lobe, occipital seizures in children often respond to antiepileptic medication and may spontaneously resolve. As occipital seizures are often associated with headaches and sometimes with vomiting, differentiating them from basilar migraine may be difficult. The possibility of ongoing seizure activity should be considered in a patient who presents with acute visual loss without an obvious cause.