Blindness

Do people ever just go blind for no apparent reason? Like they are blind, but there eyes look totally normal and the doctors don't know why and its not psycological?
Or do doctors know all the reasons that cause blindess?

[Michael J Kutryb, MD]

Some patients psychomatic blindness or hysterical blindness and their eye exams, neurologic workup and brain MRI's look totally totally normal.  Some patients go blind from medical diseases or trauma.  Now regarding the visual parts of the brain - this is quite complex and sometimes with certain brain diseases or conditions, the eyes can see but it doesn't register in the brain properly.  Sometimes these conditions might be difficult to even find on the brain MRI.  I remember a neurology book in med school about the man who thought his wife was a hat.  His visual and thought processing was so miswired that he couldn't properly figure out what he was looking at.  Neurology is a very fascinating field - and I think a strong understanding of the visual processing areas of the brain is the root of finding the answer to your question.
Michael Kutryb,MD