J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2001;121:819-820
© 2001 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery
Reply
Sody Naimer, MD
Family Medicine, Fellow of Emergency Medicine, Goosh Katif Health Center, DN Hof Gaza, Israel 79779
Reply to the Editor:
Weissberg is correct in his comment and I agree that the resulting insinuation of iatrogenic Horner syndrome might have been more appropriate in our case, had it been proven. The choice to include in the publication title the term congenital Horner syndrome is also absolutely correct and preferable, despite its misleading sense. This is precisely what happens with a "misnomer." By the mere fact that this form of the syndrome includes hypochromia of the affected iris, as is common in 5% of cases of Horner syndrome, the condition is termed "congenital." This terminology holds true even in cases resulting from lesions originating after birth. The nomenclature is acceptable throughout the ophthalmologic literature. One example is a review of 11 cases of congenital Horner syndrome by Weinstein, Zweifel, and Thompson,
1 which included five cases of complicated and/or mechanical deliveries to which the postganglionic lesion was attributed. The final two cases were attributed to established thoracic surgery in the area of the thoracic sympathetic chain, in one instance in a patient who was 12 months old.
12/8/111971doi:10.1067/mtc.2001.111971
References
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Weinstein JM, Zweifel TJ, Thompson S. Congenital Horner's syndrome. Arch Ophthalmol 1980;98:1074-8.[Abstract]
