Iatrogenic Horner syndrome after tube thoracostomy.
Iatrogenic Horner syndrome is a rare complication of chest tube insertion, with little information available on this topic in the pediatric literature. We present a case of a 13-month-old boy with a left-sided pneumonia and an associated pleural effusion for which a chest tube was inserted. His respiratory and septic parameters improved, but he was noted to have ptosis, miosis, and anhydrosis of the left side. These resolved in the days after chest tube removal. Although tube thoracostomy is a common procedure in surgical practice, little is written about the potential for injury to the ipsilateral sympathetic chain. This report reviews the available literature, with an emphasis on complication avoidance.
Baird
Robert
R
Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. robert.baird@mail.mcgill.ca
Al-Balushi
Zainab
Z
Wackett
Jeff
J
Bouchard
Sarah
S
D015505:Chest Tubes / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000601:surgery; D006548:Hernia, Diaphragmatic / Q000601:surgery; D006732:Horner Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D013907:Thoracostomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods