Table.
Subjects Who Responded Affirmatively to an Autonomic Symptom Questionnaire
| Affirmative Responses/Total Responses, No. (%) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Symptoma | Patients With MELAS (n = 35) |
Carrier Relatives (n = 53) |
Controls (n = 16) |
| Dry eyes or mouth | 7/35 (20) | 14/53 (26) | 2/16 (12) |
| Bouts of excessive saliva | 8/35 (23)b | 5/53 (9) | 0/16 (0) |
| Any orthostatic dizziness | 15/35 (43)b,c | 9/52 (17) | 0/16 (0) |
| Autonomic-pattern dizziness | 10/35 (29)b,c | 1/35 (3) | 0/16 (0) |
| Standing-induced symptoms | 9/31 (29)b | 10/49 (20) | 0/14 (0) |
| Excessively cold or discolored hands or feet; Raynaud phenomenon | 15/34 (44)b,d | 15/52 (29) | 0/16 (0) |
| Intolerance of heat or cold | 14/35 (40)b | 12/53 (23) | 1/16 (6) |
| Postprandial symptoms | 17/33 (51)b,c | 12/53 (23) | 0/15 (0) |
| Unexplained abdominal pain and/or cramps | 8/34 (23)b | 9/53 (17) | 0/16 (0) |
| Bouts of diarrhea | 8/35 (23)b | 4/53 (7) | 0/16 (0) |
| Severe constipation | 11/35 (31)b | 9/53 (17) | 0/16 (0) |
| Any gastrointestinal symptoms | 23/35 (66)b,d | 20/53 (38) | 0/16 (0) |
| Bowel or bladder incontinence | 10/34 (29)b | 6/51 (12) | 0/16 (0) |
| Sensation of incomplete bladder emptying | 6/33 (18) | 5/50 (10) | 1/16 (6) |
| Problems with male sexual function | 1/8 (12) | 2/13 (15) | 0/11 (0) |
| Pupillary dysfunction problems | 14/35 (40)b,c | 6/51 (12) | 0/16 (0) |
| Any autonomic symptom | 28/35 (80)b,d | 33/53 (62) | 2/16 (12) |
Abbreviation: MELAS, mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and strokelike episodes.
a
Symptoms listed are abbreviated from the complete questions posed to the subjects.
b
Significant difference between patients and controls (P < .05).
c
Significant difference between patients and carrier relatives (P < .05).
d
Significant difference between carrier relatives and controls (P < .05).