THE AURICULOTEMPORAL SYNDROME A CLINICAL AND PHARMACOLOGIC STUDY

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The auriculotemporal syndrome is characterized by gustatory sweating and flushing over the cutaneous distribution of the auriculotemporal nerve. Three patients have been studied who exhibited this syndrome. The gustatory sweating and flushing seen in the auriculotemporal syndrome is a manifestation of a reflex in which the efferent arc is through the auriculotemporal nerve or through adjacent auto-nomic fibers and not through the cervical sympathetic nerves. The afferent arc is non-specific; the syndrome may be induced by stimulating the 7th and 9th nerves. There may be a deficiency in sudomotor, thermo- regulatory and sensory innervation over the involved area. A local hypersensitivity to acetylcholine bromide is present. The mechanism of this syndrome is apparently related to denervation hypersensitivity of the sweat glands analogous to the hypersensitivity to adrenalin which occurs after post-ganglionic division of sympathetic fibers. In instances of severe flushing and sweating, the described studies suggest that relief may be obtained by interruption of the efferent arc by alcohol injn. or surgical section of the auriculotemporal nerve.

This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit: