Nervous system disorders in a patient with Adie syndrome (a clinical case)

Holmes-Adie syndrome, or tonic pupil syndrome, is a condition characterized by a triad of main symptoms: unilateral tonic pupil dilation, accommodative paresis without or with a significant reduction in pupillary light reflex, and decreased tendon reflexes. The disease is based on dysfunction of the parasympathetic nervous system. The syndrome results from damage to the ciliary ganglion, which carries parasympathetic innervation to the m.sphincter pupillae, cornea, and eyeball. Often the condition is accompanied by dysfunction of the spinal ganglia and, as a consequence, autonomic dysfunction in the form of sweating disorders, usually on one side of the body, rarely — by heart rhythm disorders, lability of blood pressure. A frequent sign of Adie syndrome is the absence or reduction in patellar, rarely Achilles, reflexes. The etiology of the disease is not definitively determined, bacterial or viral factors are not excluded. The diagnosis of Adie syndrome is mainly based on a clinical comparison of the symptoms of the disease, as well as on a thorough and comprehensive examination by a neuroophthalmologist with mandatory testing of pupillary responses with low doses of pilocarpine (narrowing of the pupil is characteristic). Despite the positive prognosis for the patient’s life and his ability to work, the condition belongs to the group of difficult-to-treat ones, and the management consists in symptomatic vision correction.

Quantification of Pupillary Dynamics and Accommodative Response in Adie’s Tonic Pupil: A Case Report

Background: Objective quantification of pupillary dynamics in a clinical setting is of worth importance to rule out any pupillary abnormalities. However, despite normal binocular vision findings, a quantitative measurement of pupillary response and accommodation provides a better insight to understand the mechanism. Case Report: This case report illustrates the clinical presentation, binocular vision parameters, Pupillary dynamics and accommodative response in a 33-year-old diagnosed with Adie’s Tonic pupil following trauma. Conclusion: This report explains the role of the pupillometer and open field autorefractor in quantitative analysis of pupillary and accommodative function.

Dilute pilocarpine test for diagnosis of Adie’s tonic pupil

We have compared the diagnostic ability of different concentrations of 0.125% and 0.0625% dilute pilocarpine for detecting denervation supersensitivity in unilateral Adie’s tonic pupil. This retrospective, observational, case–control study involved 117 subjects, consisting of 56 patients with unilateral Adie’s tonic pupil and 61 controls with other causes of unilateral dilated pupils. Subjects underwent the dilute pilocarpine test with one of the two concentrations, 0.125% or 0.0625%. Pupillary light reflex was recorded with a dynamic pupillometer at baseline and at 30–40 min after instilling one of the two concentrations of dilute pilocarpine. Diagnostic accuracy of two different concentrations of the dilute pilocarpine test, 0.125% group versus 0.0625% group, were compared by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Diagnostic ability of the dilute pilocarpine test for detecting denervation supersensitivity in unilateral Adie’s tonic pupil was significantly better in the 0.0625% group than in the 0.125% group (AUC = 0.954 vs. 0.840, respectively, P = 0.047). In the 0.0625% group, the change in maximal pupil diameter of ≥ 0.5 mm after topical pilocarpine instillation showed 100% sensitivity and 82.8% specificity for detecting Adie’s tonic pupil. This study confirmed that pupillary constriction with 0.0625% pilocarpine is better than 0.125% pilocarpine for detecting denervation supersensitivity in Adie’s tonic pupil. Digital pupillometry is a reliable method for assessing denervation supersensitivity in Adie's tonic pupil.

Ciliary Ganglioplegic Migraine Associated with SACS Mutation

Migraine patients often complain of repeated attacks of monocular visual disturbance including scintillations, scotomas, blindness and pupillary dysfunction. Temporary pupillary enlargement of the ipsilateral side during migraine attack, although rarely reported, is referred to as an Adie’s-like tonic pupil [1]. Adie’s tonic pupil is caused by denervation of the postganglionic parasympathetic pupillary nerves, with light-near dissociation, and cholinergic supersensitivity. Autosomal Recessive Spastic Ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS) is characterized by early-onset spastic ataxia, peripheral sensorimotor neuropathy, and pyramidal symptoms. ARSACS is caused by mutations in the SACS gene, which encodes the Sacsin expressed in various tissues including brain motor systems. Sacsin is believed to integrate the ubiquitin-proteasome system and Hsp70 chaperone machinery, which are important components of the cellular response associated with neurodegenerative diseases [2]. Here, we describe a patient suffering from chronic migraine without aura who developed cerebellar ataxia and unilateral mydriasis during acute migraine persisted after resolved headache. Presence of a SACS gene mutation is an expansion of the clinical phenotype associated with SACS mutations to ciliary ganglioplegic migraine. A 47-year-old female who suffers from long standing headache developed unsteady gait and poor coordination. With a diagnosis of migraine without aura based on the third edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-III) criteria, she was prescribed preventive medicine with topiramate and onabotulinumtoxinA injection on occasion. Physical examination revealed a dilated pupil in the left eye without reflexive constriction to light or accommodation which persisted after resolution of migraine. Except for anisocoria, no other abnormal findings were identified. Remarkable reduction of the left pupil size was observed in response to 0.125% pilocarpine (Figure 1). The patient also showed mild nonataxic spastic paraplegia but without distal weakness or pyramidal signs. A family history of migraine headache and other neurological disorders was denied. Nerve conduction studies confirmed the mixed demyelinating and axonal character of polyneuropathy. Brain MRI with angiography did not reveal any abnormalities.