BACKGROUND Some patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RD) develop intractable symptoms unresponsive to conventional therapy. Recently, intrathecal morphine therapy has been used with some success in such patients. METHODS The clinical course of two patients with intractable reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) is described. Both patients developed intractable leg pain, swelling and autono...

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) is an often devastating chronic pain condition that can develop following relatively trivial traumatic events. The precise mechanism and predisposing factors governing the development and progression of this syndrome are not completely understood. However, RSD most commonly presents distally in an extremity following injury to the limb. Rarely has it been repo...

In 23 patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) of the hand, scintigraphy with indium-111 labeled human non-specific polyclonal immunoglobulin G (In-111-IgG) was performed to investigate whether inflammatory characteristics are present in RSD. Both blood flow and accumulation over 48 h were assessed. Nineteen patients had increased flow to the affected hand, and 3 had decreased flow. One...

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OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of treatment with pamidronate in reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) refractory to previous treatment. METHODS We studied the response (disappearance of pain and functional improvement) to pamidronate (60 mg/day for 3 days) in 29 patients with RSD refractory to previous treatment for at least 14 days. RESULTS On day 45, complete pain disappearance was obser...

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) is a complex and poorly-understood condition characterized by: (a) pain and altered sensation; (b) motor disturbance and soft tissue change; (c) vasomotor and autonomic changes; and (d) psychosocial disturbance. Neurological symptoms typically do not conform to any particular pattern of nerve damage. Many different names have been ascribed to this condition an...

Persistent pain without clear explanation frequently involves the musculoskeletal system, with the core clinical features being the presence of pain and abnormal tenderness in the same area. Such conditions may be widespread or localized, that is, to an upper or lower quadrant or, less commonly, to a more restricted distal limb region. The causes, pathophysiologic mechanisms, clinical presentat...

Objective—To elucidate the real impact in the medical literature of the diVerent denominations for reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). Methods—A search was performed through the Medline database (WinSPIRS, SilverPlatter International, NS), from 1995 to 1999, including the following descriptors: RSD, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), CRPS type I, algodystrophy, Sudeck, shoulder-hand syndrom...

BACKGROUND Chronic reflex sympathetic dystrophy (also called the complex regional pain syndrome) is a painful, disabling disorder for which there is no proven treatment. In observational studies, spinal cord stimulation has reduced the pain associated with the disorder. METHODS We performed a randomized trial involving patients who had had reflex sympathetic dystrophy for at least six months....

The reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome (RSD) is a neurogenic pain syndrome that is characterized by pain, vasomotor and dystrohic changes and often motor impairments. Although the exact pathogenesis of RSD is unknown, for long the sympathetic nervous system was thought to play a dominant role and pharmacological and surgical sympathectomies have been a mainstay in treatment procedures. Howev...