[Spinal cord injury and secondary autonomic function disorders].

Autonomic dysfunction is frequently reported after high level spinal cord injury. These disorders usually occur in the first days and resolve spontaneously within 3 to 6 weeks. Usual clinical aspects are hemodynamic abnormalities and often bradycardia which can lead to death. These dysfunctions rarely reappear during neurological status recovery. In this case report, usual autonomic disorders were noted after a T5 level spinal injury with partial motor lesions. However during motor recovery periods, arrhythmias occurred, including ventricular extrasystoles and bursts of ventricular tachycardia. Physiopathological mechanisms are discussed and regulation changes of sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic nervous system are evoked.