Ross syndrome: Unilateral hyperhidrosis, Adie's tonic pupils and diffuse areflexia

• Published in: Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft Vol. 8; no. 12; pp. 1004 - 1006
• Main Authors: Yaşar, Şirin, Aslan, Canan, Serdar, Zehra Aşiran, Demirci, Gülşen Tükenmez, Tutkavul, Kemal, Babalik, Dilek
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-12-2010
• Subjects: Adie's tonic pupils; Adult; areflexia; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Hyperhidrosis - diagnosis; Hyperhidrosis - therapy; Male; Reflex, Abnormal; Segmental anhidrosis; Syndrome; Tonic Pupil - diagnosis; Tonic Pupil - therapy
• ISSN: 1610-0379; 1610-0387
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1610-0387.2010.07400.x

Summary
Ross syndrome is a rare disorder first described in 1958 with partial autonomic dysfunction. It has three basic components including unilateral or bilateral segmental anhidrosis, Adie's tonic pupils and areflexia or hyporeflexia of deep tendon reflexes. The most disturbing symptom in the patients is segmental compensatory hyperhidrosis and often the hypohidrosis or anhidrosis is not even noticed. While the pathogenesis of Ross syndrome is unclear, degenerative changes or damage to the peripheral autonomic nerve system or dorsal root ganglia have been suggested as possible causes. About 50 cases have been reported, usually by neurologists and ophthalmologists, and less often by dermatologists. We present a 26‐year‐old patient who displayed the classic triad of this syndrome, emphasizing that the presenting complaint may be hyperhidrosis and that multidisciplinary evaluation in neurology and ophthalmology is essential.