Causes Of Horner Syndrome

Horner syndrome occurs as a result of damage to the sympathetic pathways. It happens in rare cases and may affect anyone as young as one year old. The condition is characterized by several effects with the facial area. Miosis is the pupil becoming smaller in size. Another symptom, ptosis, is defined as droopy upper eyelids. With that, inverse ptosis (elevation) of the lower eyelid can also occur. Patients can also experience anhidrosis, a lack of sweating, in the area of the affected pupil. As to what causes Horner syndrome, a number of triggers have been suggested based on observations. Here are some of the reported causes for the condition.

Neck Trauma

Neck trauma is one of the most commonly linked factors to Horner syndrome. Injuries affecting the neck area interfere with the transmission of the first, second, or third order neurons within the sympathetic pathways. Neurons are nerve cells responsible for the exchange of chemical and electrical signals between the brain as well as other parts of the body.

An assessment from 2004 documents a five-year-old who presented with Horner syndrome following an episode of blunt trauma to the neck. In a 2007 case report, it is revealed a twenty-two-year-old male patient developed the condition following a motorcycle crash in which he suffered trauma to the neck and chest. An additional case report from 2007 reveals a thirty-three-year-old male patient demonstrated Horner syndrome symptoms such as miosis and ptosis after experiencing neck trauma. In another case report from 2011, a twenty-five-year-old male patient presented with the condition after being stabbed in the neck.

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Syringomyelia

Horner syndrome is a complication of syringomyelia, which is where the spinal cord is affected by a fluid-infused cavity called a syrinx. A syrinx may be caused by trauma or other spine-related conditions, such as meningitis and arachnoiditis. As the syrinx grows in size, it can damage the spinal cord, thus causing devastation to the neurons.

In a 2002 case report, it is revealed Horner syndrome symptoms in a seventy-six-year-old female patient may have been due to an expanding syrinx. Another case report suggests an extending syrinx in the C5-C7 region was the cause of Horner syndrome in a sixteen-year-old male patient. In another case report from 2010, an infant presented with anisocoria, ptosis, and weakened upper limb muscles along with a growing syrinx in the CT-T2 region. In addition, imaging showed damage to the brachial plexus, a series of nerves affecting areas between the neck and hands. It was concluded the abnormalities were due to the development of the syrinx.

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