Eyelid ptosis from sympathetic nerve dysfunction mistaken as myopathy: a simple test to identify this condition

AUTOR(ES)

Tomelleri, G

FONTE

BMJ Group

RESUMO

Acquired isolated unilateral or bilateral blepharoptosis has many aetiologies. When the pupils are normal, a myasthenic syndrome or myopathy has to be ruled out. If the tests for myasthenia gravis are negative, the next step is to perform a muscle biopsy to establish a diagnosis. Muscle examination may show a mitochondrial disorder, non‐specific abnormalities or be quite normal. We identified three patients, who had previously undergone various investigations, including a muscle biopsy, whose lid ptosis disappeared using eye drops containing naphazoline nitrate, a sympathomimetic drug, thus suggesting partial Horner's syndrome. We emphasise the usefulness of this simple and cheap test before performing more traumatic and expensive investigations.

Documentos Relacionados

• Adult onset scapuloperoneal myopathy: diagnostic value of nerve morphometry and multiple muscle biopsies.
• Granulomatous myopathy: its relationship to sarcoidosis and polymyositis.
• The contralateral upper eyelid in ptosis: some observations pertinent to ptosis corrective surgery.
• Fatal neonatal nemaline myopathy: a case report.
• Mitochondrial myopathy: a genetic study of 71 cases.