[Pathophysiology of one warm foot. Anatomy of the autonomic nervous system].
A 50-year-old man presented with a persistently warm left foot, which did not perspire. What initially seemed to be an innocent disorder turned out to be a retroperitoneal germ cell tumour situated at Liii-Liv. In most people this location is the site of the lumbar paravertebral ganglia (an important part of the sympathetic nervous system). The fact that these ganglia were affected by the tumour explained the autonomic dysfunction in this case. The patient received curative chemotherapy. Exploration of the symptoms with respect to the pathophysiology and anatomy of the autonomous nervous system might have led to an earlier diagnosis.
Bech
Anna P
AP
Ziekenhuis Rijnstate, Afd. Interne Geneeskunde, Arnhem, The Netherlands. abech@alysis.nl
Zandbergen
Eveline G J
EG
Mattijssen
E J M Vera
EJ
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005528:Foot / Q000294:innervation*; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D013546:Sweating; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents