Auditory Charles Bonnet syndrome: case report

INTRODUCTION

An 81-year-old female attended surgery claiming she could hear people singing hymns in her house. She had a religious upbringing and many of the songs she heard had religious connotations. She stated that she didn’t hear any other voices speaking and didn’t have any visual hallucinations. There was no concern from the patient or her family about her memory or mood. She had some frontal headaches over the last 3 months and some occasional dizziness. There were no other neurological symptoms apart from a long-term problem with her hearing, requiring hearing aids.

She had a past medical history of atrial fibrillation and three strokes, which affected her speech and limb functioning, but had made a good recovery. Her regular medication included amlodipine, apixaban, atorvastatin, thyroxine, and metoprolol. She was fully independent and lived alone.

On examination she looked well, with no concerns regarding cognitive or psychiatric function. Full neurological examination was normal, except for reduced hearing bilaterally. She was referred to neurology who diagnosed her with Charles Bonnet syndrome.