Congenital Cases of Concomitant Harlequin and Horner Syndromes.

We report three pediatric cases of concomitant congenital Horner and Harlequin syndromes. This association suggests a lesion at the superior cervical ganglion or just inferior. Often, no underlying lesion is documented.

Unilateral straight hair and congenital horner syndrome.

Congenital Horner syndrome is a rare disorder that accounts for less than 5% of all cases of Horner syndrome. Like Horner syndrome in general, it consists primarily of ptosis, miosis, and anhidrosis. Congenital Horner syndrome may manifest some special features such as iris heterochromia since the sympathetic nervous system is an essential component for the development and maintenance of eye color. We present 3 cases of unilateral straight hair in association with congenital Horner syndrome in which the patients had straight hair ipsilateral to the Horner syndrome, whereas on the contralateral side, it was curly, and we discuss possible mechanisms for this phenomenon.

Congenital Horner and Scimitar syndrome in a newborn: a previously unreported combination.

Here we report a case of a term newborn presenting with left palpebral ptosis, anisocoria and heterochromia as well as cleft palate and heart murmur. Congenital Horner syndrome was suspected and a thoracoabdominal CT scan was performed to rule out neuroblastoma. This revealed an anomalous drainage of right pulmonary veins to a collector that drains to the inferior vena cava, leading to the diagnosis of Scimitar syndrome. Echocardiogram showed an ostium secundum atrial septal defect, enlarged right chambers and a dilated coronary sinus due to a persistent left superior vena cava. The combination of Horner and Scimitar syndrome has never been described before. This case should encourage clinicians to use a multidisciplinary approach in order to guarantee an adequate diagnosis and management.

Heterochromia.

A patient was noted to have 2 different eye colours and miosis in her left eye. She ultimately received a diagnosis of congenital Horner syndrome. Determinants of eye colour and possible clinical significance are discussed.

Split notochord syndrome with congenital unilateral Horner's sign.

A 2-year-old boy exhibited congenital right Horner's sign and right finger, wrist, and elbow flexion arthrogryposis. He had dyspnea and feeding difficulty 12 hours after birth. Radiologic examination revealed a thoracoabdominal intestinal tube and mediastinal cystic lesion at the right side, with vertebral anomaly at the cervical level. Histopathologically, the intestinal tube was diagnosed as bowel duplication. Because the mediastinal lesion could not be resected surgically, no histopathological diagnosis was made. Embryologically, the combination of transdiaphragmatic duplication, mediastinal cystic lesion, anterior spina bifida, and hemivertebra suggested notochord malformation. The diagnosis was split notochord syndrome, an extremely rare embryological malformation syndrome. Congenital unilateral Horner syndrome often has unknown etiology. In this case, cervical vertebral anomalies and mediastinal cystic lesion implied a compressed nerve root, resulting in Horner syndrome and right finger, wrist, and elbow flexion joint contracture. Split notochord syndrome should be included in differential diagnosis of congenital unilateral Horner syndrome.

[Congenital Horner syndrome. Case report]. / Símdrome de Horner congénito. Caso clínico.

Horner syndrome is characterized by the following triad of clinical signs: miosis, ptosis and facial anhidrosis. In addition, iris heterochromia, conjunctival injection, facial erythema, congestive nasal mucosa and apparent enophthalmos secondary to the reduction of the palpebral fissure can appear. It is caused by an interruption of the sympathetic pathway that extends from the hypothalamus to the orbit. Because there is no decussation, the signs are homolateral to the lesion. Traditionally, it is classified as congenital and acquired. Occasionally, it is associated with neoplasias such as neuroblastoma. It remains controversial what imaging studies should be requested as a protocolized workup of this neurological syndrome in a patient. We report the case of a 45-day-old infant with congenital Horner syndrome.

El síndrome de Horner está caracterizado por la siguiente tríada de signos clínicos: miosis, ptosis y anhidrosis facial. A su vez, pueden aparecer heterocromía del iris, inyección conjuntival, eritema facial, mucosa nasal congestiva y enoftalmos aparente secundario a la disminución de la hendidura palpebral. Es causado por una interrupción de la vía simpática, que se extiende desde el hipotálamo hasta la órbita. Debido a que dicha vía no se decusa, los signos son homolaterales a la lesión de esta. Tradicionalmente, se lo clasifica en congénito y adquirido. En ocasiones, se asocia a neoplasias, como el neuroblastoma. Sigue siendo controversial qué estudios de imágenes se deberían solicitar en forma protocolizada frente a un paciente con este síndrome neurológico. Se presenta el caso de un lactante de 45 días de vida con síndrome de Horner congénito.

[Dysgenesis of the carotid artery associated with congenital ipsilateral Horner syndrome].

We report a case with dysgenesis of the carotid artery associated with congenital Homer syndrome. A 6-year-old boy, who had undergone surgical repair for pulmonary atresia, ventricular septal defect, and patent ductus arteriosus at 20 months of age, presented with miosis of the left eye, and anhidrosis of the left face, neck, and shoulder girdle. Since the anhidrosis was obvious in early childhood, he was suspected as having congenital Horner syndrome. Cranial and cervical CT showed unpredicted abnormalities of the left carotid arteries, including the absence of an internal carotid artery (ICA), and hypoplasia of the common carotid and external carotid arteries. The anterior and middle cerebral arterial flow was supplied through the communicating arteries. Congenital agenesis of the ICA was highly suspected, because the left carotid canal could not be discerned at all. The concurrence of agenesis of ICA with ipsilateral Horner syndrome is accounted for by simultaneous organogenesis of the carotid artery and cervical sympathetic nerve, both of which are derived from neural crest cells. Developmental anomalies of the cervical neural crest, though rare, should be included in the differential diagnosis of congenital Homer syndrome.

A case of Horner syndrome with intermittent mydriasis in a patient with hypoplasia of the internal carotid artery.

We report a rare case of hypoplasia of the right internal carotid artery (ICA) with ipsilateral congenital Horner syndrome. The etiology and pathogenesis of hypoplasia of the ICA is not well understood. Multiple types of collateral flow have been reported to develop to maintain blood supply to the ipsilateral cerebral hemisphere. Although collateral flow may allow these patients to remain asymptomatic, we postulate that the enlarged posterior communicating artery (PcomA) in our patient caused mass effect on the cisternal segment of cranial nerve III causing intermittent mydriasis apart from Horner syndrome.

Congenital Horner's syndrome associated with cervical neuroblastoma.

A 3-month-old girl was presented with a right-sided neck mass present since birth and accompanied by homolateral miosis, ptosis and enophthalmos (Horner's syndrome). Diagnostic work-up revealed an underlying cervical neuroblastoma. Although the association of Horner's syndrome with acquired neuroblastoma is well-known and of value in early diagnosing of such a tumor, it can also be a presenting or accompanying sign in rare cases of congenital neuroblastoma.

Congenital Horner's syndrome and the usefulness of the apraclonidine test in its diagnosis.

We present a seven-month-old baby with miosis of the left pupil, left hypochromia, mild ipsilateral ptosis, left hemifacial anhidrosis and asymmetrical facial flushing. A diagnosis of Horner's syndrome (HS) was presumed and was confirmed by instillation of apraclonidine eye drops. Miosis was reversed upon apraclonidine instillation. Magnetic resonance imaging of the head, neck and thorax and ultrasonography of the neck and abdomen did not reveal any pathological conditions. Although delivery-related brachial plexus injury is known as the most common cause of congenital HS, it should be investigated and should include neuroimaging of the sympathetic pathway, to exclude a serious underlying disease. As in our case, a specific etiology may not always be elicited. Pharmacological testing with apraclonidine may be a practical alternative to cocaine in the diagnosis of HS.

Congenital horner syndrome and hemiplegia secondary to carotid dissection.

A 5-month-old infant had right Horner syndrome and left hemiplegia. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed smaller cerebral hemisphere and magnetic resonance angiography showed reduced blood flow in the internal carotid artery on the right. A diagnosis of congenital hemiplegia and carotid occlusion secondary to maternal trauma during pregnancy was made.

Congenital Horner's syndrome.

Patients with congenital Horner's syndrome (who seemed, on the basis of their clinical history and the distribution fo anhidrosis, to have a preganglionic lesion) had partial mydriatic failure with hydroxyamphetamine hydrobromide and a supersensitivity to phenylephrine hydrochloride. This apparent paradox can be readily explained by postulating an aorthograde transsynaptic dysgenesis of the postganglionic neuron, such as has been demonstrated in the sympathetic nervous system of newborn animals. The failure of hydroxyamphetamine to cause mydriasis indicates damage to the postganglionic sympathetic neuron, but in the neonate this damage may be secondary to a preganglionic lesion.

Agenesis of the internal carotid artery associated with aortic arch anomaly in a patient with congenital Horner's syndrome.

We report a rare case of agenesis of the left internal carotid artery (ICA) and an aortic arch anomaly that presented with ipsilateral congenital Horner's syndrome. Digital subtraction angiography revealed left ICA agenesis shortly after its origin and anastomosis between the left maxillary artery and the supraclinoid segment of the left ICA. Aortography of the aortic arch revealed the right subclavian artery arising as the first branch of a left aortic arch, followed by a bicarotid trunk and a left subclavian artery. High resolution CT of the skull base revealed the absence of the left carotid channel, consistent with congenital agenesis of the ICA.

Glaucoma in Fuchs' heterochromic cyclitis associated with congenital Horner's syndrome.

We report a retrospective study of five patients with monocular Fuchs' heterochromic cyclitis associated with an ipsilateral Horner's syndrome. The minimum follow-up was 10 years. The presenting findings were cyclitis in three of the patients and heterochromia iridis associated with blepharoptosis in the other two. The major factors affecting all five patients were cataract and glaucoma. The intraocular pressure was uncontrolled even with maximal therapy, and antiglaucomatous surgery was performed in all cases. A short period of good postoperative control was followed by an intractable ocular hypertension, causing loss of useful vision in all patients. The remarkable combination of Horner's syndrome with glaucoma and their interaction is discussed.

"Congenital" Horner's syndrome and carotid dissection.

The authors describe a child presenting with Horner's syndrome after the repeated application of birthing forceps to the head and neck during vaginal delivery. Magnetic resonance imaging and angiography confirmed that the proximal right internal carotid artery (ICA) showed injury caused by dissection. Carotid duplex and transcranial ultrasonography provided supporting evidence of distal right ICA occlusion with the development of intracranial collaterals. The authors interpret these findings to indicate that the child suffered a traumatic dissection of the distal right ICA to mimic "congenital" Horner's syndrome (CHS). In a review of English medical literature published since 1972, the authors found 70 cases of CHS, none of which was attributed to carotid dissection. This case demonstrates that carotid dissection is an underreported cause of CHS.

When the darker eye has the smaller pupil.

Waardenburg and congenital Horner syndromes are both recognized causes of congenital hypochromic iris heterochromia. Each has been linked to disruptions in the pathway of tyrosinase induction, thus leading to a deficiency in melanin production of the iris. These syndromes must be considered in the differential diagnosis of a patient presenting with heterochromia iridis. We present the case of a 20-month old boy afflicted with both congenital Horner syndrome and Waardenburg syndrome, type II. In contrast to the more common presentation of congenital Horner syndrome, the affected iris in this case was the darker of the two because of the effects of the concomitant Waardenburg syndrome on the contralateral iris pigmentation. We are unaware of any other cases presenting with both Horner and Waardenburg syndromes and believe that this case serves as an excellent opportunity to briefly review the pathophysiology involved with these disorders.

Pediatric Horner syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to define the etiologies of Horner syndrome in the pediatric population. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of the medical records of all pediatric Horner syndrome patients (< 18 years old) examined by the pediatric ophthalmology services at two large referral centers. RESULTS: Seventy-three pediatric Horner syndrome patients were identified. Of these, 31 (42%) were congenital, 11 (15%) were acquired without surgical intervention, and 31 (42%) were acquired after a surgical procedure of the thorax, neck, or central nervous system. Of the congenital Horner syndrome patients, a history of delivery with the use of forceps, vacuum extraction, shoulder dystocia, fetal rotation, or postterm delivery was elicited in 16 patients (53%). Concomitant brachial plexus injury was identified in only 3 patients. Two patients had congenital varicella syndrome and 1 patient was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. This patient had a palpable supraclavicular mass and stridor. Diagnosis of the patients with acquired Horner syndrome included neuroblastoma (2), trauma (1), rhabdomyosarcoma (1), brainstem vascular malformation (1), disseminated sclerosis (1), and not determined (5). CONCLUSION: In children with congenital Horner syndrome, a history of forceful manipulation of the infant during birth may reduce the need for extensive systemic evaluation. Without such history, a decision to proceed with further evaluation is made with consideration of the relative incidence of neuroblastoma by age and the physical findings. All acquired pediatric Horner syndrome patients without a known etiology require thorough evaluation because of the frequent association of serious underlying disease.