Acute Autonomic Neuropathy as a Rare Cause of Severe Arterial Hypertension in a Child

Abstract

A 7-year-old boy was admitted to the Pediatric Cardiology Department with blood pressure of 160/120 mmHg accompanied by burning pain in his hands and feet and tachycardia, followed by a seizure attack for the first time in his life, which presented shortly after admission. The child underwent a widespread diagnostic process – including laboratory tests and imaging – showing inconclusive results. Acute autonomic neuropathy was eventually diagnosed and successfully treated with intravenous immunoglobulin. The described case illustrates the need for a careful and open-minded approach to patients with hypertension.