[Recurrent episodic unilateral mydriasis with pleocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid--a case report]

A 24-year-old female was admitted to our hospital on Aug. 20 in 1986 because of blurred vision and right pupillary dilatation. She had sometimes noticed headache later than 1976, and blurred vision without headache several times a year later than 1983. She had been told her right pupil dilated when she had complained of blurred vision. Neurological examination revealed abnormal findings as follows; diminished sense of smell in the right side, anisocoria (R 8 mm, L 5 mm), bilateral hippus, hypesthesioalgesia in her right face, left trunk and left arm. The pupils were round and contracted promptly to light. Accommodation reflex and ciliospinal reflexes were normal. Neither blepharoptosis nor external ocular muscle paresis were observed. Deep tendon reflexes were normal. Planter responses were flexor. There was no meningeal irritative sign. No abnormal findings were obtained in blood and urine, chest X-p, brain enhanced CT scan, EEG, and cerebral angiography except for slight degree of anemia. Serum TPHA was negative. However, the cell count of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was 18/mm3 (Ly 100%) and decreased to 9/mm3 (Ly 100%) in nine days. Protein content and glucose level of CSF were normal. Pupils were not constricted by 0.125% pilocarpine instillation. Loss of smell and sensory disturbance disappeared within three days and her pupils became isocoric by five days after admission. The patients of episodic unilateral mydriasis without apparent cause had relatively same clinical features as "unilateral springing pupil" proposed by Hallett et al. (1970). Except for mydriasis, they had no abnormal findings of neurological and laboratory examinations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)