Adie pupil

Last revised by Daniel J Bell on 7 Jan 2018

Adie pupil (also known as tonic pupil) is caused by idiopathic degeneration of the ciliary ganglion, which sometimes occurs following a viral or bacterial illness. It is usually unilateral and typically affects young females 1.

Adie pupil represents a large dilated "tonic pupil", which does not constrict to bright light but can slowly accommodate to near objects, thereby demonstrating light-near dissociation. It is part of the classic triad called Adie syndrome

History and etymology

It was named for the British-Australian neurologist William John Adie (1886 - 1935). Although he recognized that he was far from the first to recognize its existence, indeed James Ware published a case in 1831 2.

ADVERTISEMENT: Supporters see fewer/no ads

Updating… Please wait.

 Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.

 Thank you for updating your details.