A unilaterally fixed mydriasis, also known as a 'blown pupil,' is considered an ominous sign concerning for intracranial pathology. Causes of anisocoria can range from benign to immediately life-threatening. When a patient presents with anisocoria, the concern for a fatal diagnosis leads the clinician to obtain numerous tests, many of which may be unnecessary. The authors present a case of a he...

Anisocoria during anesthesia is very rare, but may indicate life-threatening neurologic injuries and create tremendous condition. A 23-year-old male patient was anesthetized with fentanyl and propofol. Thirty minutes after inducing anesthesia, unilateral mydriasis was detected. The duration of surgery was shortened for prompt evaluation of the pupils. At the end of the operation neither vision ...

Anisocoria, or unequal pupil size, may be an early sign of an impending neurologic emergency in any patient.1 Acute unilateral mydriasis is often suggestive of a lifethreatening condition affecting cranial nerve function, such as tumor compression, intracranial hypertension with impending uncal herniation, expanding intracranial aneurysm, or hemorrhage. Benign mydriasis can be due to prior trau...

We describe two cases of a unilateral fixed dilated pupil secondary to the ocular instillation of nebulised ipratropium bromide. In one patient there was no other neurological abnormality. The second patient was unconscious following a cardiac arrest. While a fixed dilated pupil is an alarming sign, if it is caused by ocular instillation of ipratropium bromide the condition will resolve, althou...

Hutchinson (1867-68) in his 'Lectures on compression of the brain' was the first to indicate that with an acutely expanding intracranial mass, the ipsilateral pupil frequently dilated and became unresponsive to light. This he attributed to compression of the third nerve. Von Bergmann (1880) and subsequently Macewen (1887) came to similar conclusions regarding the significance of paralytic mydri...

INTRODUCTION Bupropion is used to help people stop smoking. This drug can cause visual alterations but, up to now, its use was not associated with anisocoria. CASE REPORT A 40 year-old woman with a personal history of migraines, presented with monocular mydriasis during treatment with bupropion. Both pupils dilated equally after a 5% cocaine test, and constricted equally after a 0.025% Piloca...