Visual Field Defects and the Prognosis of Stroke Patients

The prognosis of stroke patients is related to the presence or absence of homonymous hemianopia at time of admission to a stroke center. Two hundred thirty-four patients were followed for an average of 15 months. In patients with nonhemorrhagic strokes in the middle cerebral artery territory the presence of a dense homonymous hemianopia lasting for more than 24 hours, together with any degree of motor, sensory or speech defect, seemed to affect adversely the potential for rehabilitation and survival. Data were insufficient to draw similar conclusions with other types of cerebrovascular lesions. The pertinent literature is briefly reviewed.