CASE REPORT A case of unilateral Horner’s syndrome after combined spinal epidural anesthesia with ropivacaine 10 mg/mL for cesarean section

Horner’s syndrome is a triad of miosis, ptosis and enophthalmos commonly associated with vasodilatation (facial flashing), anhydrosis and nasal stuffiness. Horner’s syndrome has been reported following several regional anaesthetic techniques, including brachial plexus block and thoracic and lumbar epidural anesthesia. Several cases have been reported in obstetric patients using bupivacaine and ropivacaine epidurally but there are no reports of Horner’s syndrome following spinal injection of a local anesthetic in the obstetric setting. Moreover we could not find any data in the available literature (MEDLINE) regarding the occurrence of Horner’s syndrome after subarachnoid injection of ropivacaine for cesarean section. We report a case in which a patient developed Horner’s syndrome after the subarachnoid injection of ropivacaine as a single agent for cesarean section.