Cardiology meets neurology: clinical presentation and management of patients with primary neurogenic disorders and orthostatic intolerance

Patients with primary neurogenic disorders such as pure autonomic failure or multiple system atrophy may initially present with cardiocirculatory symptoms such as orthostatic intolerance or fluctuations in heart rate with symptomatic tachycardia. It is therefore clinically important to identify such patients since circulatory manifestations are only one of a series of symptoms resulting from autonomic dysfunction in various organ systems. These patients require a multimodal diagnostic and therapeutic approach and should undergo extensive evaluation in a specialized autonomic nervous system (ANS) outpatient unit. Based on a clinical case presentation, the current review summarizes the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to key cardiovascular symptoms of primary autonomic disorders and their neurological work-up in a specialized autonomic function laboratory.