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Visual Hallucinations and Illusions as Missed Diagnostic Clues in Autoimmune Disease: A Patient Perspective

RUPERT HARWOOD

Journal of Patient Experience, Volume: 13

Swansea University Author: RUPERT HARWOOD

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DOI (Published version): 10.1177/23743735261439465

Abstract

Non-psychotic visual hallucinations and illusions (referred to here as NVHIs), such as visual snow, can be indicators of serious underlying pathologies, including Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases. In this Patient Perspective article, I recount some of the impacts of NVHIs, and their attributio...

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Published in: Journal of Patient Experience
ISSN: 2374-3735 2374-3743
Published: SAGE Publications 2026
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71661
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spelling 2026-04-27T15:49:58.9242751 v2 71661 2026-03-23 Visual Hallucinations and Illusions as Missed Diagnostic Clues in Autoimmune Disease: A Patient Perspective dd86f6440382422aff81e48faba9a002 RUPERT HARWOOD RUPERT HARWOOD true false 2026-03-23 Non-psychotic visual hallucinations and illusions (referred to here as NVHIs), such as visual snow, can be indicators of serious underlying pathologies, including Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases. In this Patient Perspective article, I recount some of the impacts of NVHIs, and their attribution/misattribution, on my autoimmune diagnostic journeys. I then draw on these experiences, and the literature, to suggest improvements to policies and practice. It is hoped that these types of changes could contribute to NVHI-related diagnostic opportunities being less often missed. Journal Article Journal of Patient Experience 13 SAGE Publications 2374-3735 2374-3743 autoimmune, SARDs, Sjögren’s Disease, hallucinations, visual snow, diagnosis, diagnostic overshadowing, patient experiences 15 4 2026 2026-04-15 10.1177/23743735261439465 Patient Perspective COLLEGE NANME COLLEGE CODE Swansea University 2026-04-27T15:49:58.9242751 2026-03-23T11:08:32.2440565 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences Swansea University Medical School - Biomedical Science RUPERT HARWOOD 1 71661__36616__9a202c9b43224db0aabab201d42f4c90.pdf 71661.VoR.pdf 2026-04-27T15:44:22.6357772 Output 243123 application/pdf Version of Record true © The Author(s) 2026. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License. true eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
title Visual Hallucinations and Illusions as Missed Diagnostic Clues in Autoimmune Disease: A Patient Perspective
spellingShingle Visual Hallucinations and Illusions as Missed Diagnostic Clues in Autoimmune Disease: A Patient Perspective
RUPERT HARWOOD
title_short Visual Hallucinations and Illusions as Missed Diagnostic Clues in Autoimmune Disease: A Patient Perspective
title_full Visual Hallucinations and Illusions as Missed Diagnostic Clues in Autoimmune Disease: A Patient Perspective
title_fullStr Visual Hallucinations and Illusions as Missed Diagnostic Clues in Autoimmune Disease: A Patient Perspective
title_full_unstemmed Visual Hallucinations and Illusions as Missed Diagnostic Clues in Autoimmune Disease: A Patient Perspective
title_sort Visual Hallucinations and Illusions as Missed Diagnostic Clues in Autoimmune Disease: A Patient Perspective
author_id_str_mv dd86f6440382422aff81e48faba9a002
author_id_fullname_str_mv dd86f6440382422aff81e48faba9a002_***_RUPERT HARWOOD
author RUPERT HARWOOD
author2 RUPERT HARWOOD
format Journal article
container_title Journal of Patient Experience
container_volume 13
publishDate 2026
institution Swansea University
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2374-3743
doi_str_mv 10.1177/23743735261439465
publisher SAGE Publications
college_str Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
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hierarchy_top_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
department_str Swansea University Medical School - Biomedical Science{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences{{{_:::_}}}Swansea University Medical School - Biomedical Science
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description Non-psychotic visual hallucinations and illusions (referred to here as NVHIs), such as visual snow, can be indicators of serious underlying pathologies, including Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases. In this Patient Perspective article, I recount some of the impacts of NVHIs, and their attribution/misattribution, on my autoimmune diagnostic journeys. I then draw on these experiences, and the literature, to suggest improvements to policies and practice. It is hoped that these types of changes could contribute to NVHI-related diagnostic opportunities being less often missed.
published_date 2026-04-15T07:56:36Z
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