Presentation
History
Patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD; also referred to as complex regional pain syndrome [CRPS] type 1) have a history of trauma, minor rather than major (eg, Colles fracture), in about 50-65% of cases. [12] The condition may also follow a surgical procedure (see the image below).
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Physical Examination
Symptoms and signs of RSD include the following:
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Pain, described as burning, throbbing, shooting, or aching
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Hyperalgesia
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Allodynia (perception of pain with normally innocuous stimuli, characteristic of sympathetically mediated pain [SMP])
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Hyperpathia
Trophic changes (occurring within 10 days of onset of RSD in 30% of the extremities affected) include the following:
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Stiffness and edema
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Atrophy of hair, nails, and/or skin
Changes in autonomic function include the following:
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Abnormal sweating, either excess or anhydrosis
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Heat and cold insensitivity
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Redness or bluish discoloration of the extremities
Previous
Media Gallery
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Reflex sympathetic dystrophy following surgery for Dupuytren contracture.
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Radiograph of affected extremity, depicting regional osteopenia contrasted with normal radiographic appearance of the opposite extremity.
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