What is Argyll-Robertson syndrome? How does this pathology manifest itself and what causes its occurrence? You will receive answers to all these questions from the materials of our article. Also in it you will find information about whether this disease is treated and how exactly it is done.
Basic information
What is Argyle-Robertson syndrome, only those people who directly faced this pathology know. In modern medicine, the term is used to refer to a symptom in which the pupils' reaction to light is absent or greatly weakens. At the same time, reactions to accommodation and convergence (that is, to pointing at an object in the vicinity) are completely preserved.
Main symptoms
Argyle-Robertson syndrome is manifested not only by the mentioned symptom. In addition, patients with the described disease often experience anisocoria (different sizes in the pupils of the left and right eyes), myosis (narrowing), and pupil deformity. Also, occasionally in the presence of the aforementioned syndrome, they can respond to light in a paradoxical way, that is, expanding a little. In this case, the ciliospinal reflex may also be completely absent, that is, the pupils may not expand due to painful irritation of the skin of the neck.
In some cases, patients have atrophy and depigmentation of the iris. In this situation, they say that the pathological process is localized in the region of the anterior dvuhmoliya.
Causes of the syndrome
Most often, Argyll-Robertson syndrome is observed in late syphilis. Such a pathology is most characteristic of the reduced form of this disease. By the way, it can also be observed in the early stages of this venereal disease.
It can not be said that the symptom of Argyll-Robertson is also observed with paralytic syndrome.
Experts argue that the development of the phenomenon in question is associated primarily with the defeat of the neuron (insertion) of the visual reflex to light. Also, this pathology may develop due to the increased sensitivity of the pupillary fibers to treponemal toxin.
In addition, Argyll-Robertson syndrome is often found in other diseases:
- multiple sclerosis;
- stem encephalitis;
- syringobulbia;
- diphtheria polyneuropathy;
- alcoholism;
- as well as after suffering ophthalmic or herpes zoster.
This symptom can be differentiated with Adie’s disease.
Why does the reverse Argyll-Robertson syndrome arise, which is characterized by the complete absence of pupil reaction to accommodation and convergence, as well as the preservation of the reaction to light? With regular consistency, the pathology in question is found in a disease such as epidemic encephalitis.
Syndrome treatment
Therapy of Argyll-Robertson syndrome is not carried out due to the fact that this is just a symptom of an internal disease. Therefore, all efforts to eliminate this pathology should be directed to the treatment of the underlying disease, in which this symptom is observed.
Thus, it is necessary to treat late or early syphilis, paralytic syndrome, multiple sclerosis, stem encephalitis, diphtheria polyneuropathy, syringobulbia, alcoholism and other listed diseases.