Orthostatic hypotension caused by sympathectomies performed for hyperhidrosis.

We studied sympathetic cardiovascular control in a patient after sympathectomies and found severe hypoadrenergic orthostatic hypotension before and after, but not during upright exercise. This report is the first to correlate in man anatomical sympathetic lesions with autonomic function test results and to document that in a sequence of sympathectomies orthostatic hypotension does not develop until the major part of splanchnic sympathetic outflow is destroyed.