"Pneumo-ptosis" in the emergency department

The authors report the case of a 16-year-old female who presented with a left tension pneumothorax and a left Horner's syndrome. Chest tube thoracostomy performed to relieve the tension pneumothorax also resulted in the immediate resolution of the patient's ptosis and miosis. The probable mechanism for the patient's focal neurologic signs was traction upon the cervical sympathetic chain secondary to the mediastinal shift of the tension pneumothorax. This case demonstrates that unequal pupils in the presence of a pneumothorax could represent Horner's syndrome.