Parinaud

Henri Parinaud (1844–1905) was a French ophthalmologist whose work contributed to neuro-ophthalmology and the study of ocular motility. He described several clinical findings and syndromes that bear his name, and his contributions helped establish systematic examination of eye movements and pupillary reactions in neurological disease.

Parinaud's syndrome, also called dorsal midbrain syndrome, refers to a constellation of vertical gaze palsy with impaired upward gaze, light-near dissociation of the pupils, eyelid retraction (Collier's sign), and sometimes convergence-retraction nystagmus. It results from lesions affecting the dorsal midbrain, typically around the region of the superior colliculus, and is commonly associated with pineal region tumors, hydrocephalus, stroke, or demyelinating disease.

Parinaud's oculoglandular syndrome is an ocular granulomatous conjunctivitis with ipsilateral preauricular lymphadenopathy, historically described in association with cat scratch disease. The condition illustrates how ocular findings can reflect systemic infection and inflammation.

Beyond these eponymous syndromes, Parinaud contributed to clinical descriptions of retinal and neuromuscular conditions and influenced ophthalmology and neuro-ophthalmology through his publications and teaching. His work remains a reference in the diagnosis of dorsal midbrain pathology and related ocular signs.