There are syndromes that are familiar even to a personfar from medicine. For example, almost everyone has heard about Asperger syndrome. But Horner's syndrome is not so often discussed in the press. Although this symptom complex rather strongly interferes with the life of someone who is “unlucky” for them to get sick. However, there are few such people, this condition is very rare.
Horner syndrome is associated with a violation offunctioning of the sympathetic nerves responsible for the condition of the face and eyes. Caused by any problems in the nervous tissue that connects the peripheral nerves to the eyes and face, with the center - the hypothalamus. The sympathetic nerves themselves do not transmit the control signal from the center, but they support the tissues and organs “in working condition”, therefore the organs do not function normally when the functioning of these nerves is disturbed. The degree of damage may be different.
When does Horner syndrome occur?
First, when injury occurs to any of the arteries supplying oxygen to the brain. For example, the carotid artery.
Secondly, with nerve damage in an education such as the brachial plexus.
Third, Horner’s syndrome often manifests itself simultaneously with migraines.
Fourth, it happens as a consequence of a stroke or tumor in the brainstem.
Fifth, sometimes the syndrome occurs simultaneously with a tumor in the apex of the lung.
Sixth, the disease is possible after a viral infection, as well as as a result of an autoimmune process in which the body destroys its own cells.
Seventh, it is congenital, in which case it is combined with the lack of coloring of the child's iris.
Symptoms of the disease are as follows:
- Reduction of sweating in the affected area of the face, with impaired local thermoregulation;
- The eyelid falls and does not rise arbitrarily (this condition is also called ptosis);
- Violation of the position of the eyeball;
- Lower eyelid swelling;
- The pupil becomes small and constricted.
Of course, by the pupil and eyelid we can assume thatThe patient has Bernard-Horner syndrome. However, as a rule, a good doctor will not limit himself to stating the presence of a couple of symptoms. After all, the defeat of the sympathetic nervous system can be much broader than with the considered syndrome. Other areas on the body may be affected, so in such cases a complete neurological examination is performed. A study of pupillary reactions is also conducted, while investigating how the relative and absolute dimensions of the pupil change when exposed to bright light and darkness. In Horner’s syndrome, the pupil in the dark expands much more slowly than normal. And even substances that contribute to the expansion of the pupil are unable to make the reactions correct.
Также проводятся анализы крови, ангиографические procedures (a contrast agent allows you to see the state of the cerebral arteries), fluorography, as well as MRI scans of the brain, puncture of cerebrospinal fluid at the level of the lumbar vertebrae.
So, established Horner's syndrome.Treatment may be different, because the choice of a particular method depends on the cause that provoked the disease, and they can be very different. The forecast may be good, or not very good, depending on whether the cause is correctly established in a particular case. Horner’s syndrome itself has no complications, but a deterioration in the state of health is possible due to a disease that provoked the syndrome.
Of course, not all cases are possible.cure, if the nervous tissue was damaged by viruses, you can only take drugs that improve blood circulation in the brain, and hope for the best. If a tumor was detected, it should be removed as soon as possible. In the case of malignant transformation, classical radiation is also performed.
It is not Horner’s syndrome itself that is dangerous, but the diseasewhich is behind it, so you need at the first manifestations of these symptoms to contact a qualified oculist. Perhaps it will cope at an early stage with the disease.
