Dilated pupil

[Karla1972]

What is the most common reason for dilated pupil?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Well assuming both eyelids are the same height (no ptosis), no double vision, no other symptoms any place else in the boddie the most common cause would be Addie's Tonic Pupil.  Use the search feature and archives and read about.

JCH MD

[Marm235]

52 y.o. female with the right pupil dilated much larger than the left. Daughter noticed this suddenly one morning - it has been a week now and it is still much larger than the left pupil.  It responds a bit to light but is still enlarged compared to the left pupil.  Taking NO meds at all, have some pressure and even some discomfort in the neck on the same side - like at the base of the head.  Sort of tight and overstretched feeling that comes and goes.  Definitely a great deal of stress in my life at this time but no other symptoms.  The same week I noticed this large pupil I had rubbed my eye a lot as I thot I had a bit of eye make up in it and it was watery and feeling like I might have scratched it but that cleared up and I had no redness in my eye after a few days but my pupil is still very dilated only the right one.  
After some friends found out who were RN's and my son is a RN and other relatives are MD's...they insisted I go to the ER. and there they did a CT scan of my carotid arteries and another CT of my soft tissue and vessels lin the neck and 2 chest xrays. All clear.  So then they wanted to d a PET scan of my brain and I opted out thinking nothing was really wrong with me? but am now worried about it a bit as every one seems super concerned but I don't feel like anything is a big deal but a very dilated right pupil and the neck and ear pressure on the same side which comes and goes and is not really bad enough to be called "pain"?  

So I do have an appt scheduled with a Neuro-Opthamologist for next week. What could it be? PS: I only wear little reading glasses for close work and reading and haven't had an eye exam since 2nd grade!

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

a dark environment

JCH III MD