Left Parietal Tumors Presenting with Smartphone Icon Visual Agnosia: Two Cases of a Modern Presentation of Gerstmann Syndrome.

Abstract

Gerstmanns syndrome-a clinical constellation of left-right confusion, finger agnosia, agraphia, and acalculia-is frequently attributed to pathology in the dominant inferior parietal lobe or temporo-occipital region. However, these unique clinical findings are often accompanied by more subtle signs, including aphasias, neglect, and agnosias. Associative visual agnosia, in which a patient is able to accurately perceive and describe but not recognize an object or symbol, is a well-documented but infrequently observed clinical entity. Here we detail 2 unique cases of patients who presented with the inability to recognize and use smartphone application icons. Both were found to have left temporo-occipital tumors displacing the left temporo-parietooccipital cortex. In the era of pervasive technology, we emphasize that smartphone icon associative visual agnosias may be recognized by discerning physicians in the clinical diagnosis of dominant parietal lobe pathology.