Nonorganic visual loss in a child

Nonorganic visual loss (NOVL) is a rare presentation of visual conversion disorder. It may be suspected when the visual symptoms do not commensurate with the clinical signs on examination and in the absence of any organic etiology. We report a 10-year-old male child presenting with recurrent episodes of sudden-onset ptosis associated with a decrease in vision and diplopia. He was initially diagnosed and treated as juvenile myasthenia gravis elsewhere. However, as extensive investigations were negative, he underwent a psychological evaluation and was found to have a NOVL. There was a spontaneous resolution of symptoms following therapy. NOVL is a rare but important differential diagnosis in children with vision loss in the absence of ocular pathology.