A young female patient with reflex sympathetic dystrophy of the upper limb in whom amputation became inevitable.
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) is characterized mostly by: (burning) pain, restricted range of motion, oedema and autonomic disturbances. Amputations in case of RSD patients should only be performed in cases of a dysfunctional limb, life threatening conditions such as untreatable infections or in cases in unbearable pain. The authors describe a patient in whom amputation became inevitable because of threatening infections.
Geertzen
J H
JH
Department of Rehabilitation, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
Rietman
J S
JS
Smit
A J
AJ
Zimmerman
K W
KW
D000328:Adult; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D012019:Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy / Q000601:surgery*