September 11, 2000
Hypoglycemia
Question from Coral Springs, Florida, USA:
My 12 year old daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes one month ago. Her blood glucose levels seem to be pretty stable: 70 to 100 mg/dl [3.9 to 5.6 mmol/L] with the occasional drop to 50 mg/dl [2.8 mmol/L] and rise to 180 mg/dl [10 mmol/L]. Yesterday afternoon her pupils were extremely dilated, this morning they were normal, but again this afternoon they were somewhat dilated. Is there any correlation between this situation and diabetes?
Answer:
Not in the context of normal blood sugars. Hypoglycaemia may be accompanied by pupil dilatation as the body will produce adrenalin (epinephrine) as part of its response. A more sinister thought, but a nonetheless serious one, is that changes in pupil size can be associated with the use of illicit drugs. While unlikely in the circumstances described, this possibility should be considered.
KJR
