Sympatholysis subsequent to intraoperative amygdalohippocampal stimulation: A report of three pediatric neurosurgical cases with literature review

The existence of neural connection between the limbic system (hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, and other adjacent areas) and the autonomic nervous system has been postulated to trigger severe hemodynamic responses. The hemodynamic consequences of stimulation of amygdala or hippocampus have been sporadically reported in animal studies and adult patients. However, the effect of this stimulation in pediatric patients is scarce. We present our experience of three cases of sympatholysis during intraoperative manipulation of amygdalohippocampus and review the pertinent literature.