What it means
Usually both pupils are affected. The pupil does not react to light but does constrict with accommodation, the focusing that happens when looking at a near object. It is a classic sign of neurosyphilis, syphilis that has reached the nervous system, and it is also seen in diabetes. It is named after Douglas Argyll Robertson, a Scottish eye doctor.
Remember it
It Accommodates but does not React (ARP: "Accommodation Reflex Present").
At a glance
| Also written | Argyll Robertson pupils |
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Related terms
syphilis
A bacterial infection, spread mainly through sex, caused by Treponema pallidum.
rapid plasma reagin
A blood test used to screen for syphilis by looking for antibodies the body makes during the infection.