Idiopathic Horner Syndrome in the Golden Retriever

Neuropharmacological lesion localization in idiopathic Horner's syndrome in Golden Retrievers and dogs of other breeds

“…All 10 Golden Retrievers in our study were diagnosed with HS by virtue of the classic triad of clinical signs of miosis, ptosis, and third eyelid protrusion resulting from enophthalmos . Etiopathogenesis was not determined, and the HS was therefore considered idiopathic.…”

“…Pharmacological testing using dilute (1%) topical phenylephrine, with differentiation between postganglionic and preganglionic HS made at resolution of clinical signs before or after 20 min, respectively, indicated eight postganglionic and two preganglionic cases. These results were in contradiction to previous reports of an exclusively preganglionic localization . Eighty percent of Golden Retrievers were male correlating with previous observations of an apparent male overrepresentation in this breed .…”

“…Horner's syndrome (HS) results from a lesion at any site along the three‐neuron oculosympathetic pathway . In dogs, clinical signs of HS include miosis, protrusion of the third eyelid, ptosis, and enophthalmos . Lesions may be classified neuroanatomically as central, preganglionic, or postganglionic (Fig.…”

“…A high incidence of idiopathic HS has been reported in male Golden Retrievers. Denervation hypersensitivity testing using phenylephrine, a direct‐acting sympathomimetic, diagnosed all cases with idiopathic preganglionic HS . The purpose of this study was to investigate whether idiopathic HS in Golden Retrievers is an exclusively preganglionic disorder, based on pharmacological neuro‐localization with phenylephrine.…”

Canine neurogenic Keratoconjunctivitis sicca: 11 cases (2006–2010)

“…A self‐limiting process in these cases might explain the improvement. Idiopathic Horner′s syndrome has been shown to resolve either partially or completely in most cases within 6 weeks to 6 months 7–9 with the pathogenesis being unknown. Histopathology of the lacrimal gland and the neural structures of the idiopathic neurogenic KCS cases described here could be very beneficial, but due to the fact that these cases potentially can recover or at least can be controlled clinically, there is no reasonable way to gain good tissue samples.…”