Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) is a life-threatening complication of spinal cord injury (SCI) at T6 or above that results in an uncontrolled sympathetic discharge in response to noxious stimuli. It is a symptom complex characterized by a lethal rise in blood pressure with dangerous consequences. Autonomic dysreflexia is often secondary to urological, gastrointestinal, or gynecological problems or m...

A 40 year-old man with C5 complete quadriplegia, had L2-L3 pyogenic spondylitis treated with debridement and fusion of the lumbar spine with left iliac bone graft. Three months later he developed symptoms of autonomic dysreflexia, including headache, cold sweating, and hypertension whenever he was in an upright position. These symptoms resolved after lying down. Roentgenograms of the lumbar spi...

BACKGROUND Longitudinally Extensive Transverse Myelitis LETM is a specific pattern of myelitis wherein at least three continuous vertebral segments are involved. Characteristically, it is a defining feature of neuromyelitis optica NMO. However, it is described in many other etiologies. CASE PRESENTATION We present a case of 60 year old male who presented with symptoms and signs of regional sy...

Severe spinal cord injuries above mid-thoracic levels can lead to a potentially life-threatening hypertensive condition termed autonomic dysreflexia, which is often triggered by painful distension of pelvic viscera (bladder or bowel) and consequent sensory fiber activation, including nociceptive C-fibers. Interruption of tonically active medullo-spinal pathways after injury causes disinhibition...

Recurrent attacks of life-threatening dyspnoea and choking occurred in a patient with tetraplegia. Conventional investigations for gastro-oesophageal reflux were normal, but 24-hour oesophageal pH recording revealed gross reflux in association with an attack of dyspnoea. Surgical correction of the reflux abolished the attacks. The possibility of autonomic dysreflexia as the mechanism linking re...