title: [A new reflex cardiovascular syndrome: recurrent vasodepressive syncope caused by lesions or tumors of the parapharyngeal space. Etiopathogenesis, clinical picture, differential diagnosis with carotid sinus syndrome and glossopharyngeal neuralgia-asystole syndrome. Therapy by intracranial resection of the 9th cranial nerve].
abstract: An intense vaso-vagal reaction characterizes all the reflex induced cardiovascular syncopes. In these syndromes the vagal cardio-inhibitor effect on heart rate is more evident than the vasodilatation and fall in blood pressure. The vasodepressor mechanism is uncommon even in carotid sinus syndrome. We have studied 6 male patients, age range 56-73 years (mean age: 64) with recurrent vasodepressor syncopes. The following were always present during such episodes: generalized malaise, profound fatigue, pallor, cyanosis, copious sweating, lack of peripheral pulses, severe fall in blood pressure (BP) (systolic BP less than or equal to 50-60 mmHg or unrecordable), mental disorientation and/or syncope. The first diagnosis in our patients was carotid sinus syndrome, but, the clinical picture was quite different from classic carotid sinus syndrome: triggering factors were not present, the vasovagal episodes were longer, the syncopes more frequent and severe, and the VVI pacing uneffective. Further investigations, including computerized axial tomography, showed--in all these patients--a malignant tumour originally localized in or near the parapharyngeal space. We think that the symptoms of our patients can be attributed to parapharyngeal tumour and that the parapharyngeal space lesions are able to cause severe vasovagal attacks and syncope. The pathogenetic mechanism in this syndrome, due to neural irritation of the glossopharyngeal afferent fibres, is similar to the glossopharyngeal neuralgia-asystole syndrome, but it obviously doesn't involve pain-pathways since none of our patients had pain. Therefore, this syndrome differs from glossopharyngeal neuralgia- asystole syndrome in the presence of tumours and in the absence of neuralgia and initiating factors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Cattedra di Cardiologia, Università e Spedali Civili di Brescia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cicogna
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Visioli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002346:Carotid Sinus / Q000601:surgery*; D005930:Glossopharyngeal Nerve / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007022:Hypotension / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D012008:Recurrence; D012021:Reflex, Abnormal / Q000150:complications*; D013575:Syncope / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D013577:Syndrome
vernacular_title: Una nuova sindrome cardiovascolare riflessa: ricorrenti sincopi vasodepressive da lesioni o tumori dello spazio parafaringeo. Etiopatogenesi, quadro clinico, diagnosi differenziale con la sindrome del seno carotideo e la glossopharyngeal neuralgia-asystole syndrome. Terapia con la resezione intracranica del IX nervo.