Metamorphopsia

E., Normal vision, 2005.

E., Metamorphopsia in left half-field of vision, 2005.

Metamorphopsia (Klee and Willanger, 1966) is a visual illusion in which objects appear to be distorted, e.g. linear contours or flat surfaces appearing curved.

"My auras include shadows where they don't belong or moving shadows. Flat surfaces appear curved (like a wall or doorway). Colors look different -- white usually looks pink or yellow. One headache specialist I went to shared the aura of curved walls & colors looking different."

(Debbie T, BrainTalk Communities, Subject: What's "Weird" About YOUR H/A's?, March 28, 2004)

"I am a female aged 57 and began having migraines with aura late last year. I have not had a painful migraine headache. Above are two photos, #1 an actual view, #2 my attempt to recreate what I experienced earlier this month... The recreation (#2) represents my experience on May 7, 2005. It seemed as if my right eye saw the landscape realistically, but my left eye perceived a distorted view that seemed to be surging rapidly toward me..."

(E., Emails to Klaus Podoll, May 15-16, 2005) [more]

"My auras frequently stick around for the duration of the migraine. Sometimes, they'll disappear entirely only to pop back up late on. I picture them like little aura ninjas, sneaking up when I least expect it... Funny blobby things, flecks of colour, colours bleeding, and distortion of shapes and distances."

(possibilities, LiveJournal for Support Group for Migraine Sufferers, October 19 and 23, 2005)

References

Klee A, Willanger R. Disturbances of visual perception in migraine. Acta Neurol Scand 1966; 42: 400-414.

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