Phantom Eye Syndrome

Phantom eye syndrome is defined as any sensation that a patient reports as originating in the eye after it has been amputated. Phantom eye syndrome includes phantom vision, phantom pain and phantom sensations. At least one of the symptoms must be present for a diagnosis. Studies indicate that around 46–68% of patients experience at least one symptom of phantom eye syndrome. When evaluating a patient complaining of pain or discomfort in the anophthalmic socket, the first step is to consider the conditions that can cause a dysfunctional orbit and socket through careful history taking, clinical examination, and, when necessary, imaging. Close collaboration between the ophthalmologists and the ocularists is helpful. If no pathological or structural cause of pain can be found, a diagnosis of phantom eye pain may be considered.