Horner's syndrome causes
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Horner’s syndrome is usually acquired but may also be congenital (inborn) or iatrogenic (caused by medical treatment). Although most causes are relatively benign, Horner’s syndrome may reflect serious pathology in the neck or chest (such as a Pancoast tumor or thyrocervical venous dilatation) and hence requires workup.
Common Causes
- Due to lesion of one side of the cervical sympathetic chain which affects on the same side of the lesion
- PICA syndrome
- Cluster headache – combination termed Horton’s headache[1]
- Trauma – base of neck, usually blunt trauma.
- Middle ear infection
- Tumors – often bronchogenic carcinoma of the superior fissure (Pancoast tumor)
- Thoracic aortic aneurysm
- Neurofibromatosis type 1
- Goitre
- Dissecting aortic aneurysm
- Thyroid carcinoma
- Multiple sclerosis
- Carotid artery dissection
- Klumpke paralysis
- Cavernous sinus thrombosis
- Sympathectomy
- Syringomyelia
- Nerve blocks, such as cervical plexus block, stellate ganglion or interscalene block
- Brainstem stroke
- Carotid body tumor
- Lymphoma
- Mediastinal mass
- Metastasis
- Parotid gland tumor
- Tuberculosis adenitis
Causes by Organ System
| Cardiovascular | Aneurysm or dissection of the aorta, Aortic aneurysm thoracic, Carotid aneurysm, Carotid angiography, Carotid artery dissection, Carotid artery thrombosis, Carotid cavernous, fistula, Cavernous sinus Inflammation, Coronary artery bypass grafting, Dissecting aortic aneurysm, Internal carotid artery, Aneurysm , Internal carotid artery Arteritis, Internal carotid artery Dissection, Lesions of the subclavian or common carotid artery, Subclavian artery aneurysm, Thoracic Aortic aneurysm |
| Chemical/Poisoning | No underlying causes |
| Dental | No underlying causes |
| Dermatologic | No underlying causes |
| Drug Side Effect | No underlying causes |
| Ear Nose Throat | Acute otitis media, Lesions of the middle ear, Middle ear infection |
| Endocrine | Goitre, Invasive pituitary tumor |
| Environmental | No underlying causes |
| Gastroenterologic | No underlying causes |
| Genetic | Arnold-Chiari malformation, Neurofibromatosis type 1 |
| Hematologic | Leukemia, Cavernous sinus thrombosis, Internal carotid artery Thrombosis, Lymphadenopathy, Lymphoma |
| Iatrogenic | Central venous catheterization, Cervical plexus block, Chest tube placement, Interscalene block, Jugular cannulation, Neck surgery, Radical neck dissection, Stellate ganglion block, Sympathectomy, Thoracic surgery, Thyroidectomy, Traumatic dissection of the vertebral artery |
| Infectious Disease | Basal meningitis, Congenital infections, Herpes zoster, Hydatid cyst, Mandibular tooth abscess, Tuberculosis,
Tuberculosis adenitis |
| Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic | No underlying causes |
| Neurologic | Brain stem Demyelination, Brain stem lesion, Brainstem stroke, Brainstem tumor, Brainstem tumors, Glioma, Brainstem vascular malformations (AVM), Cerebral vascular accident (CVA), Cluster headache, Demyelinating disease, Demyelination brainstem, Hematomyelia, High cervical cord lesion, Hypothalamic lesion, Hypothalamic Stroke, Hypothalamic tumor, Intrapontine hemorrhage, Lesions in the hypothalamus or medulla, Multiple sclerosis, Myelitis , PICA syndrome, Posterior inferior cerebellar artery syndrome, Spinal cord demyelination, spinal cord Infarction , Spinal Meningioma, Syringomyelia, Wallenberg syndrome, Lateral medullary syndrome] |
| Nutritional/Metabolic | No underlying causes |
| Obstetric/Gynecologic | Birth trauma related, Birth trauma with injury to lower brachial plexus, Klumpke paralysis |
| Oncologic | Bronchogenic carcinoma, Carotid body tumor, Cavernous sinus Tumors, Cervical spinal cord tumor, Hodgkin disease, Internal carotid artery Tumor, Intramedullary Tumor, large cell Lung cancer, Mediastinal mass, Mediastinal Neuroblastoma, Mesothelioma, Metastasis, Nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Neuroblastoma, Pancoast syndrome, Parotid gland tumor, Pulmonary lymphoma, Rhabdomyosarcoma, Skull base lymphoma, Squamous cell Lung cancer, Superior cervical ganglion Jugular venous ectasia, Thoracic spinal cord tumor, Thyroid carcinoma |
| Ophthalmologic | No underlying causes |
| Overdose/Toxicity | No underlying causes |
| Psychiatric | No underlying causes |
| Pulmonary | Adeno carcinoma lung, Apical lung tumor |
| Renal/Electrolyte | No underlying causes |
| Rheumatology/Immunology/Allergy | No underlying causes |
| Sexual | No underlying causes |
| Trauma | Basal skull tumor, Cervical spinal cord injury, Cervico-thoracic Spinal cord Trauma, Internal carotid artery Trauma, Neck trauma, Superior cervical ganglion Trauma, Trauma – base of neck, Traumatic dislocation of cervical vertebrae |
| Urologic | No underlying causes |
| Miscellaneous | Cervical rib, Idiopathic, Superior cervical ganglion surgical dissection, Superior vena cava syndrome |
Causes in Alphabetical Order
References
- ↑ Graff JM, Lee AG (February 21, 2005). “Horner’s Syndrome (due to Cluster Headache): 46 y.o. man presenting with headache and ptosis”. Ophthalmology Grand Rounds. The University of Iowa. Retrieved 2006-09-22.
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