$Unique_ID{BRK01558}
$Pretitle{Ill Defined Symptoms and Rare Diseases, Neoplasms}
$Title{Horner's Syndrome}
$Subject{eyelid droop Horner's cancer}
$Volume{N-21, B-21}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Horner's Syndrome


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QUESTION:  My brother visited his doctor recently went to see his doctor
because his eye lid was drooping.  After examining his eyes his physician sent
him for a chest x-ray because he had something called Horner's Syndrome?  What
does his lung have to do with his eye?  As you may imagine I am very
concerned.

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ANSWER:  Frequently in medicine we observe symptoms that occur together, and
may be related to a single cause or disease.  This grouping provides an
important clue for diagnosis and is called a "syndrome".  The syndrome is
usually named after the person who discovered it.  In the case of your
brother, such a situation is called Horner's Syndrome.  A person with this
problem has a small pupil, an eyelid that droops, and does not sweat on the
affected side of their face.  This condition is associated with lung cancers
that grow in the upper portion of the lung.  These tumors extend out of the
lung and invade the nerves in the area, outside of the spinal cord, and so
produce the changes in the lids, eyes and face.  A physician who recognizes
this combination of abnormalities will always be suspicious that a cancer is
causing the problem, and seek out the cause, usually by taking an x-ray of the
lung.  If caught early enough, this tumor may be removed by surgery, which
offers the greatest hope for a cure.  As is true for most tumors, the earlier
it is detected the best chance there is for long term survival.  Your brother
now may have that chance, because the physician followed through in the most
appropriate way.  And if your concern is also for yourself, and you are or
have been a cigarette smoker, a chest x-ray is a good idea for you too.
ÿ
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
