Medical Mnemonics: Features of Horner's Syndrome

Medical Mnemonics: Features of Horner’s Syndrome – “SAMPLE”

Medical Mnemonics
Horner’s Syndrome (Oculosympathetic paresis) is a rare neurologic condition whose symptoms and signs include:

• Ptosis (drooping eyelid)
• Anhidrosis (inability to sweat).
• Miosis (pupil constriction)

Horner’s syndrome can be caused by any set of sympathetic nerve fiber injuries. Horner’s syndrome is generally classified into Central and Peripheral.

• Central: Sympathetic nerves start in the brain and then travel down to the spinal cord and into the chest.
• Peripheral: Sympathetic nerves start from the chest to the neck, arteries, head, and into the eyes.

Another feature of Horner’s syndrome is loss of ciliospinal reflex (pupil dilates when pressure / pain applied to neck or face. Patients with Horner’s syndrome also experience Enophthalmos (posterior displacement of the eyeball). These features can all be remembered by the mnemonic “SAMPLE”

• S: Sympathetic Nerve Fiber Injury
• A: Anhidrosis
• M: Miosis
• P: Ptosis
• L: Loss of ciliospinal reflex
• E: Enophthalmos