Adie syndrome: symptoms, causes, drugs, etc. • hello healthy

Definition

What is Adie syndrome (Holmes-Adie syndrome)?

Adie syndrome (Holmes-Adie syndrome) is a neurological disorder that affects the pupil function of the eye. In some people, Adie's syndrome causes the pupils to dilate unnaturally and react slowly to nearby light sources. Others may even have pupils that are smaller than normal. People who have this disorder also show weak or even no reflexes.

This syndrome is not life threatening, nor can it get worse over time.

Other names for Adie's Syndrome are Adie's Pupil, Adie's Tonic Pupil, Papillotonic Psuedotabes, and Tonic Pupil Syndrome.

How common is Adie syndrome (Holmes-Adie syndrome)?

Adie's syndrome is a rare condition. Two out of a thousand people report symptoms of Adie syndrome.

Adie syndrome is more common in women than men, with a ratio of 2.6: 1 where the cause is unknown.

This syndrome usually appears first in the age range 25-45. Please discuss with your doctor for more information.

Signs & symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of Adie syndrome (Holmes-Adie syndrome)?

Under normal conditions, the pupil of the eye shrinks when exposed to light or when focusing on an object. When the room conditions are dark or dim; change the focus of the view; or when the person is happy, surprised, or angry, the pupils will dilate.

Most people who have Adie's syndrome have pupils that are larger than normal. The pupil will continue to enlarge when the eye is exposed to light, or react very, very slowly to adapt to light or to focus on an object. It can even take a few minutes to shrink and enlarge again. Over time, this enlarged pupil will shrink so that it is smaller than the pupil of the other (normal) eye.

Sometimes, this condition can cause blurred vision or sensitivity to light (photophobia).

People who have Adie syndrome have slow or no muscle reflexes. For example, when a doctor knocks on the kneecap with a rubber hammer, a normal person will reflexively shake or kick his leg. People who have Adie's syndrome don't show any reflexes (or if they do, it's too late).

Several medical studies report that this syndrome can also cause cardiovascular disorders.

There may be signs and symptoms not listed above. If you have concerns about a particular symptom, consult your doctor.

When should I see a doctor?

If you have concerns about a particular symptom, consult your doctor.

Cause

What causes Adie syndrome (Holmes-Adie syndrome)?

Most cases of Adie syndrome have no known cause. Health professionals suspect that this syndrome occurs as a result of damage or inflammation of the ciliary ganglion, the nerve bundle in the eye socket, just behind the eyeball. They also suspect this syndrome arises as a result of damage to the post-ganglionic nerve bundles.

The ciliary ganglion is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which works to regulate the functions of the autonomic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system relaxes the body and inhibits or slows down the function of energy.

The ciliary ganglion supplies nerve fibers to the eye. These nerve fibers carry signals that are responsible for regulating the pupil's response to stimuli, for example shrinking when exposed to light, enlarging when in a dark room, or other stimuli.

Damage to these two nerves causes Adie's syndrome. In most cases, nerve damage can be caused by viral infections, autoimmune diseases, tumors, trauma, inflammation due to syphilis, complications of eye surgery, paraneoplastic disorders, to severe vasculitis in the elderly.

The lack of deep tendon reflexes is believed to be the result of damage to the dorsal ganglion root, the nerve bundle at the spinal nerve root.

Medicines & Medicines

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

How is Adie syndrome (Holmes-Adie syndrome) diagnosed?

Doctors can diagnose Adie's syndrome through a variety of physical examination tests and look at your medical history. An eye exam can be performed by an eye specialist by placing special eye drops to dilate the pupil of the eye. After that, the doctor will shine a light into your eye to compare the pupil size of your two eyes to determine a diagnosis.

What are my treatment options for Adie syndrome (Holmes-Adie syndrome)?

In most cases, no treatment is required. Special glasses may be prescribed to treat blurry vision. Sunglasses can help you adapt to light. Missing tendon reflex is a permanent condition.