Parinaud's syndrome

Parinaud's syndrome is a rare medical condition, often caused by tumors in or near the pineal gland in the brain. It is characterized by a group of abnormalities of eye movement and pupil dysfunction.

Symptoms

The symptoms of Parinaud's syndrome include:

• Vertical gaze palsy: This is the inability to move the eyes up and down.
• Convergence-retraction nystagmus: This is a jerky eye movement that occurs when trying to look upward.
• Light-near dissociation: This is when the pupils do not react to light but do react to accommodation (focusing on a near object).
• Eyelid retraction: This is a condition where the upper eyelids are retracted and the white part of the eye above the iris is visible.

Causes

Parinaud's syndrome is often caused by pinealoma, a tumor of the pineal gland. Other causes can include brainstem lesions, hydrocephalus, midbrain infarction, and multiple sclerosis.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of Parinaud's syndrome is based on the presence of the characteristic symptoms and is confirmed by MRI or CT scan of the brain.

Treatment

Treatment of Parinaud's syndrome is directed at the underlying cause. This may involve surgery to remove a tumor, radiation therapy, or medications to control symptoms.

Prognosis

The prognosis for Parinaud's syndrome depends on the underlying cause. With treatment, some people may experience a significant improvement in symptoms.

See also

• Pineal gland
• Pinealoma
• Brainstem
• Hydrocephalus
• Midbrain
• Multiple sclerosis
• MRI
• CT scan

Parinaud's syndrome Resources
Latest articles Most recent articles Ongoing trials	Wikipedia