From: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: One Pupil Dilated....
Date: 29 Sep 92 21:34:59 GMT
Reply-To: geb@cs.pitt.edu (Gordon Banks)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh Computer Science

In article <23454@hacgate.SCG.HAC.COM> locke@caesi.scg.hac.com (Anne Locke) writes:
>I had a strange experience last Friday on my drive to work.  My vision
>got blurred out of my left eye.  The street lights and brake lights all
>had a "streak" of light below them... it was as if I had a film of
>vaseline on my eye.  It was definitely the left eye because I closed each
>eye and isolated the problem to be in my left eye.
>
>After I got to work, I looked at my eye in the mirror and the left pupil
>was *much* bigger than the right and it appeared to be oval-shaped rather
>than round.  I had several people look at it who also confirmed what I 
>saw.
>
They also confirmed that it was elliptical?

>
>First of all, when I told him the story, he refused to believe my des-
>cription of my pupil.  He said people have a hard time describing their
>own pupils.  When I told him that other people also confirmed what I saw,
>he still said people can't describe a pupil.  When he asked me how long
>this condition lasted, my best guess was about an hour.  Apparently, this
>was not a good answer.  He seemed confused by the fact that it didn't last
>longer.
>
>He basically said it could be one of 2 things:  a visual migraine or
>something that mostly females were susceptible to.  This second unnamed
>"something" supposedly also has other symptoms... but he wouldn't tell me
>what they are (presumably so I wouldn't "get" them).  He said that he 
>would ignore it for now and if it happens again, I should get into the
>office while it's still happening.  He did check the pressure in that
>eye and said it was normal.
>
>Well, I can't seem to stop thinking about that 2nd unnamed mysterious
>condition...  Does anyone know what it might be?  Should I be concerned
>and seek out another doctor, or is this just something I should wait
>and see if it happens again?
>
The most common cause of a painless unilateral dilated pupil is contamination
of the eye with some midryatic agent, such as atropine.  (Similar
to what the doctor uses to dilated eyes).  Think about what you
might have touched and wiped into your eye accidentally.  This is
common in nurses who work with medications.

The other thing he was talking about is an aneurism, and if you
had that it should have been very painful and not gone away so
quickly.  He probably didn't tell you the other symptoms because
he didn't want you to show up convinced you had them making him
do an angiogram or something risky like that.

The elliptical pupil is very odd.  I would also question your
observation.  This is a very unusual finding which is usually
indicative of midbrain involvement.  I can't think of any
midbrain process that would resolve so quickly.  If it happens
again, go to an ER where a professional can make some observations
while you have the problem.  
















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Gordon Banks  N3JXP      | "I have given you an argument; I am not obliged
geb@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu   |  to supply you with an understanding." -S.Johnson
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