Dragon Hallucinations: Rare Condition Causes People to See Dragons

August 27, 2025 Dr. Jennifer Chen Health

Here’s​ a breakdown of‌ the key data from⁤ the text,‍ focusing on ⁢the medical condition and its details:

Condition: Prosopometamorphopsia‌ (PMO)

What it is indeed: An uncommon condition affecting how a person ​perceives human faces, causing them ⁢to appear dramatically distorted. Features can ⁣seem enlarged, shrunken, sagging, stretched, or out of position.

Types:
Hemi-prosopometamorphopsia (hemi-PMO): Distortion affects only one‍ side of the observed face.
 Full-face prosopometamorphopsia (full-face⁣ PMO): Distortion warps the entire face.

Brain Area Involved: Ventral occipitotemporal cortex (in the back ⁢of the brain)‍ -⁤ this region regulates object recognition.

Possible Cause: Lesions in the brain (revealed by MRI) potentially present since birth, possibly due⁤ to temporary ⁢oxygen deprivation ⁣shortly before or after delivery.Associated Disorders: Epilepsy, migraine, ‌and ⁤stroke.Treatment: Daily doses⁣ of⁢ valproic acid (an anticonvulsant also used for migraines and bipolar disorder).