Horner′s syndrome: A rare complication of thyroid cancer surgery

Horner’s syndrome in thyroidectomy patient: Case report

“…The vasomotor and sudomotor innervations to the face are interrupted, resulting in unilateral anhidrosis. 1 HS is usually seen when a larger goiter or malignancy of neck causes compression of the cervical sympathetic chain, 3,5 but HS as a complication of thyroidectomy is very rare. Iatrogenic causes of HS are major neck surgeries, thoracic surgeries, tube thoracotomy, carotid endarterectomy, etc.…”

“…This can be explained by injury to the sympathetic chain by retractor stretching and sympathetic regeneration with re-establishment of the original sympathetic pathways after 8 months. 1,13 Most cases of HS after thyroidectomy did not have symptoms of ipsilateral facial anhidrosis and cutaneous vascular dilatation. 5 The etiology of this is unclear in many articles and also in this case report.…”

“…Horner’s syndrome (HS) is a syndrome of ipsilateral ptosis, miosis, facial anhidrosis, and vascular dilatation of one-half of the face. 1 This is first described in humans by Johann Friedrich Horner in 1869. This is caused by the disruption of oculosympathetic pathway (OSP).…”

“…OSP supplies innervation to the ipsilateral face sweat glands, dilator muscles of the pupil, and retractor muscles of the eyelids. 2 , 3 Most common causes of acquired HS are cerebrovascular accident, neck and mediastinal tumors, neck trauma, and iatrogenic injury after neck and thoracic surgery 1 . HS after thyroidectomy is very rare with only very few cases reported in the literature.…”

“…HS after thyroidectomy is very rare with only very few cases reported in the literature. 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 7 Due to highly variable relationship between cervical sympathetic trunk and thyroid gland, there is very high risk to damage to sympathetic trunk. 5 …”