Horner Syndrome

Horner syndrome is a set of signs on one side of the face: a drooping upper eyelid, a smaller pupil and less sweating. It happens when the nerve pathway that controls these functions is damaged. In the chest, the classic cause is a lung cancer at the very top of the lung, called a Pancoast tumor.

Origin

The Swiss ophthalmologist Johann Friedrich Horner described the syndrome in 1869. The French physiologist Claude Bernard had described similar findings in animal experiments earlier, so in France it is often called Claude Bernard-Horner syndrome.

Significance in Asbestos Context

The nerve pathway behind Horner syndrome runs from the brain down into the chest, over the top of the lung and back up the neck to the eye. A tumor at the lung apex, the superior sulcus, can invade these nerves, often with shoulder and arm pain from the nearby brachial plexus. Asbestos-related lung cancer can arise there, and mesothelioma at the top of the chest occasionally causes Horner syndrome. Many other conditions cause it too, including injuries to the neck arteries, strokes and surgery, so a sudden new Horner syndrome needs prompt medical evaluation. For a patient, it is a sign that a tumor has reached nerves, which can affect surgical options and pain management. For a claim, it is one more dated finding that shows how the disease advanced.

Example Sentence

The drooping of his left eyelid and his small left pupil, together with months of shoulder pain, led his doctor to order a CT scan that found a tumor at the top of his left lung.

Related Terms

Lung Cancer, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Metastasis, CT Scan, Staging, Palliative Care

Notes

• A newly drooping eyelid with a smaller pupil on the same side needs prompt medical attention.
• Persistent shoulder or arm pain in someone with asbestos exposure is worth mentioning to a doctor, along with the exposure history.
• Ask about a pain specialist or palliative care if nerve pain is hard to control.