Autonomic dysreflexia in patients with cancer and spinal cord injury: a case series

Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) is a potentially life-threatening syndrome that can occur in patients with traumatic injury to the spinal cord; however, it has not been well described in patients with non-traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) from cancer and its treatments.

We report four cases of autonomic dysreflexia secondary to primary spinal cord tumors and metastatic disease to the spine, and as sequela to cancer treatment. The clinical characteristics, diagnostic considerations, and therapeutic strategies used to mitigate the symptoms are discussed.

The case series shows that AD is a rare but important condition to consider among patients with cancer-related SCI. There is a need for close monitoring and early identification of this syndrome in this population. Therapeutic strategies are available to mitigate these symptoms and risks of complications.