Argyll Robertson pupil

Argyll Robertson pupils (AR pupils) are bilateral small <a href="/facts/Pupil/E4ec4lfJ">pupils</a> that reduce in size on a near object (i.e., they <a href="/facts/Accommodation_(eye)/UqjPBp3S">accommodate</a>), but do not <a href="/facts/Pupillary_light_reflex/owbnYMTj">constrict when exposed to bright light</a> (i.e., they do not react). They are a highly <a href="/facts/Sensitivity_and_specificity/pzc9qfdz">specific</a> sign of <a href="/facts/Neurosyphilis/RyqWG559">neurosyphilis</a>; however, Argyll Robertson pupils may also be a sign of <a href="/facts/Diabetic_neuropathy/88AIan9y">diabetic neuropathy</a>. In general, pupils that accommodate but do not react are said to show <a href="/facts/Light-near_dissociation/8AtCz5y6">light-near dissociation</a> (i.e., it is the absence of a <a href="/facts/Miotic/LsrhaFpb">miotic</a> reaction to light, both direct and consensual, with the preservation of a miotic reaction to near stimulus (accommodation/convergence)).
AR pupils are extremely uncommon in the developed world. There is continued interest in the underlying pathophysiology, but the scarcity of cases makes ongoing research difficult.

Argyll Robertson pupil open-in-new

Argyll Robertson pupil