Horner's Syndrome - Signs and Symptoms

Signs and Symptoms

Signs that are found in patients on the affected side of the face include

  • partial ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid from loss of sympathetic innervation to the superior tarsal muscle, also known as Müller's muscle)
  • upside-down ptosis (slight elevation of the lower lid)
  • anhidrosis (decreased sweating on the affected side of the face)
  • miosis (small pupils)
  • enophthalmos (the impression that the eye is sunk in)
  • loss of ciliospinal reflex
  • bloodshot conjunctiva, depending on the site of lesion.

Sometimes there is flushing on the affected side of the face due to dilation of blood vessels under the skin. The pupil's light reflex is maintained as this is controlled via the parasympathetic nervous system.

In children, Horner's syndrome sometimes leads to heterochromia: a difference in eye color between the two eyes. This happens because a lack of sympathetic stimulation in childhood interferes with melanin pigmentation of the melanocytes in the superficial stroma of the iris.

In veterinary medicine, signs can include partial closure of the third eyelid, or nictitating membrane.

Read more about this topic:  Horner's Syndrome

Famous quotes containing the words signs and/or symptoms:

    [Christianity] endeavors equally to establish these two things: that God has set up in the Church visible signs to make himself known to those who should seek him sincerely, and that he has nevertheless so disguised them that he will only be perceived by those who seek him with all their heart.
    Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)

    For anyone addicted to reading commonplace books ... finding a good new one is much like enduring a familiar recurrence of malaria, with fever, fits of shaking, strange dreams. Unlike a truly paludismic ordeal, however, the symptoms felt while savoring a collection of one man’s pet quotations are voluptuously enjoyable ...
    M.F.K. Fisher (1908–1992)