conclusions the results suggest no significant relationship between the severity of injury and risk of rsd occurrence, although the mean injury severity score was higher in patients with rsd than in those without rsd in this study population. the lower score of local circulation in patients with rsd than in those without rsd is a statistically significant finding and can be attributed to change...

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy, also known as complex regional pain syndrome type I, is a multisymptom syndrome usually affecting one or more extremities. It is inadequately understood and, therefore, often frustrating to treat. This article presents a case study of a 23-year career nurse who developed reflex sympathetic dystrophy of the left knee. It also reviews the rationale for reflex sympath...

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy is a dysfunctional pain response to a noxious stimulus. It is characterized by pain out of proportion to the inciting event, which may be quite insignificant but can be severe. In its earliest stages reflex sympathetic dystrophy is responsive to sympathetic blockade, pharmacologic agents, other modalities, and physical therapy. Early recognition and treatment is cri...

INTRODUCTION Reflex sympathetic dystrophy can result in severe disability with only one in five patients able to fully resume prior activities. Therefore, it is important to diagnose this condition early and begin appropriate treatment. Factitious lymphoedema can mimic reflex sympathetic dystrophy and is caused by self-inflicted tourniquets, blows to the arm or repeated skin irritation. Patient...

The authors suggest some criteria by which pseudodystrophy and reflex sympathetic dystrophy, although sharing some similar clinical features, can be distinguished as two different conditions, each requiring its own approach and management. The most important distinction is found on bone scintigraphy. In reflex sympathetic dystrophy the bone scan shows a typical increased tracer uptake (at least...

OBJECTIVE To better understand the diagnosis of reflex sympathetic dystrophy of the lower extremities in pregnant women. SUBJECT Disease analysis using a retrospective series of nine cases and a review of the literature (57 patients and 159 sites of reflex sympathetic dystrophy). RESULTS This disorder should be considered in any painful pelvic girdle syndrome or lower extremity pain. The hi...

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy was the presenting feature in an otherwise occult case of non-metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the lung which improved on surgical removal of the primary tumour. Reflex sympathetic dystrophy, therefore, should be considered an occasional manifestation of a paraneoplastic syndrome warranting a thorough search for underlying malignancy.