[MRI symptomology in reflex sympathetic dystrophy of the foot].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the MRI findings of reflex sympathetic dystrophy of the foot and ankle.


METHODS
Retrospective study of 50 patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy of the foot (5 with the cold form, and 45 with the warm form) diagnosed based on clinical and scintigraphic findings. All patients underwent MR imaging. The MRI findings were correlated with the clinical and scintigraphic findings.


RESULTS
Patients with the cold form of reflex sympathetic dystrophy had no abnormality of signal at MR imaging. All patients with the warm from of reflex sympathetic dystrophy showed periarticular marrow edema at MR, typically involving more than one bone (mean of 4). Other findings were inconstant: soft tissue edema, joint effusion, and rarely, subchondral band of low T1W signal intensity of unclear etiology.


CONCLUSIONS
MR imaging, including fat-suppressed T2W or STIR images and noncontrast T1W images, is helpful in patients with the warm or acute form of reflex sympathetic dystrophy of the foot. In patients with the cold form, MR imaging is helpful to exclude another underlying etiology for the symptoms and identify patients with the warm form of the process.
Darbois
H
H
Service de Radiologie, HIA Bégin, Saint-Mande.
Boyer
B
B
Dubayle
P
P
Lechevalier
D
D
David
H
H
Aït-Ameur
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D001855:Bone Marrow Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D004487:Edema / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005529:Foot Bones / Q000473:pathology; D005534:Foot Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012019:Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013582:Synovial Fluid