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Confusion in Acute Occipital Infarcts: Why Blame Delirium?

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Acute occipital infarction is a diagnostic challenge due to overlapping symptoms with delirium, another common hospital presentation. We describe a 94-year-old patient presenting with acute confusion and visual changes on imaging. CT imaging shows bilateral occipital infarcts, resulting in a display of Anton syndrome and impacting the patient's cognition. She was treated for an acute infarct and managed appropriately under the stroke team with the relevant therapy teams. We explore the challenges in differentiating causes of delirium and offer a diagnostic aid to prompt swifter identification of occipital infarcts in the absence of obvious cause for delirium. This provides an opportunity to encourage efficient diagnosis of occipital infarcts and to improve awareness for identifying key features early.

Source: Cureus

DOI: 10.7759/cureus.118289

Authors: Chloe R Plater, Amy Green, Hakim Eluzai

Institutions: University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Dorset County Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Acute Ischemic Stroke Management

Subfield: Clinical Neurology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: diamond

OpenAlex ID: W7223114941