Various autonomic nervous symptoms were observed on 45 pulmonary tuberculous patients who subjected to thoracoplasty. At the same time, the effect of tetraethylammonium bromide (TEAB) which was given intravenously to those cases was examined before and two weeks after the operation.
Positive Rossolimo reflex was observed in 18 of 45 cases (40%) on the 7th day after the operation. Its frequency was higher on the side of the operation. According to the method of eliciting Rossolimo reflex, the frequency was 42.6%, while 35.6% by the original method of Rossolimo reflex.
Positive wartenberg reflex was most frequently noted (77.3% after operation) than any other hand reflexes. The difference between its frequency on the side of operation and that on the other side was not significant. The administration of TEAB depressed these reflexes of hand and foot.
Enlargement of pupil on the side of operation was also frequently observed. The administration of TEAB made the latent anisocoria manifest. Total incidence of anisocoria was 47.6%.
Hemihydrosis appeared soon after the operation on the oposite side of thoracoplasty, and later on the reverse was observed, i.e. the hydrosis was noted only on the side of the operation.
Goose skin reflex was accelerated on the side of operation, after the thoracoplasty, and TEAB depressed this reflex.
In addision, a certain hyperaesthetic area was frequently noted on the breast of the side of the operation. According to the effect of TEAB and various autonomic nervous symptoms, this fact was considered due to accelerated autonomic tonus.
In order to explain all these findings, participation of the cervical and thoracic sympathetic trunk on the side of the operation and of autonomic centripetal fibers in the lung must be taken into consideration.