CASE REPORT Autonomic dysreflexia associated with Charcot spine following spinal cord injury: a case report and literature review

Abstract We report the case of a 50-year-old man pre-senting symptoms of autonomic dysreflexia associated with Charcot spine following complete C8 spinal cord injury. After posterior lumbar interbody fusion of L2/3 with simultaneous posterior instrumentation from L1 to L5, the patient recovered from the symptoms of autonomic dys-reflexia. Although the patient began to faint when he sat up and transferred after surgery, it began to be resolved by continuous urinary catheterization, setting a limit to activity and prescription of alpha-, beta-stimulants. Within a few weeks after performing these treatment strategies, he could return to active wheelchair life, and no recurrence of any symptoms was noted at the 6-year follow-up. Although there are only a small number of cases with Charcot spine presenting autonomic dysreflexia, surgical stabilization of the affected lesion for patients with this condition should be recommended