Diagnosis of idiopathic autonomic neuropathy

This is a case report of a 51 years old woman admitted to the hospital due to abdominal pain and intractable diarrhea of two months duration. Her history and her physical examination revealed signs and symptoms leading to the diagnosis of the rare syndrome of idiopathic autonomic neuropathy. In this case report we briefly describe the characteristics of the syndrome and its natural history and treatment. We also raise the important issue of common error patterns in diagnostic reasoning such as "omission" and "anchoring" and how these patterns are reflected in the present case.