- Post-traumatic pain syndrome characterized by pain with ↑SNS activity
- a.k.a. causalgia, posttraumatic sympathetic dystrophy, Sudeck’s atrophy, shoulder-hand syndrome, traumatic neuralgia, Mitchell’s causalgia
Incidence
- M = F
- UL = LL
- The type or severity of initial injury dose not predict development of this syndrome
Clinical
- Severe pain – Burning, involving entire hand/foot
- Small stimulus → Sudden ↑ in severity of pain
- Marked vasoconstriction → Cold, cyanotic & moist extremity
- If left untreated → Limb shows dystrophy & atrophy
Management
- Sympathetic block with LA (short-term) or surgical/chemical sympathectomy (long-term)