Subacute cholinergic dysautonomia in childhood.
Clinical features of a 10-year-old boy who presented with manifestations of subacute autonomic neuropathy are described. The pupillary abnormalities, reduced tear, sweat and saliva production, and visceral dysfunction suggest a lesion restricted to cholinergic postganglionic endings of the autonomic nervous system. There was no evidence of dysfunction at the neuromuscular junction or elsewhere in the nervous system. The cause of the cholinergic dysautonomia has not been found. Clostridium botulinum infection could not be verified, and although a variety of Clostridium species were isolated from the faeces they could not be shown to produce a neurotoxin.
D001338:Autonomic Fibers, Postganglionic / Q000503:physiopathology; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009431:Neural Conduction; D012025:Reflex, Pupillary