title: Reversal of sympathetic failure due to cervical myelopathy in a patient with Down's syndrome.
abstract: We report a case of severe orthostatic hypotension in a 60-year-old patient with Down's syndrome presumably due to spinal cord compression secondary to atlantoaxial instability that resolved following surgical decompression; the mechanism of disease may be selective damage to the autonomic descending fibers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico, 2211 Lomas Boulevard N.E., ACC-5th Floor, Albuquerque, NM 87131-5271, USA. gmoguelcobos@salud.unm.edu
authors.forename: Guillermo D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Moguel
authors.forename: Laurence J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Kinsella
mesh_terms: D001268:Atlanto-Axial Joint; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*