Horner's syndrome: a complication of experimental carotid artery surgery in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To report on the occurrence of iatrogenic Horner's syndrome (HS) in epileptic rats after implantation of an electrode for vagus nerve stimulation and to describe the possible consequences of this new complication of carotid artery surgery in rats.


METHODS
A bipolar circular electrode was placed around the left carotid artery and vagus nerve of 31 rats. The incidence of HS was evaluated by visual inspection within 24 h after surgery.


RESULTS
68% of rats suffered from HS immediately after surgery. This complication did not affect epileptogenesis.


CONCLUSIONS
The occurrence of HS in the rat is a frequent complication of vagus nerve electrode implantation, which does not affect epileptogenesis in this study. However, rats affected by HS may suffer from damage to the sympathetic innervation of the gut, due to rat-specific neuroanatomy. Therefore, caution towards other research questions is warranted.
Aalbers
M W
MW
Department of Neurosurgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Rijkers
K
K
van Winden
L A A P
LA
Hoogland
G
G
Vles
J S H
JS
Majoie
H J M
HJ
D000679:Amygdala / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D005123:Eye / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006732:Horner Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007498:Iris / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D007696:Kindling, Neurologic / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017779:Sympathetic Fibers, Postganglionic / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery