Acute posttraumatic ischemia of the limbs: algodystrophy or related syndrome? A prospective study on a series of 25 patients.
The aim of this study was to present clinical and paraclinical features of a rarely studied vascular syndrome that usually occurs after a minor traumatic injury. The prospective study of 25 patients identified a group of young subjects, mainly women, generally with history of vascular hyperactivity to cold, showing disseminated pain in a limb always combined with vasospasm, consecutive to a minor traumatic injury in general, and simulating acute ischemia of a limb. The patients' arterial and microcirculatory flows were restored after warming, which proved that they were suffering from intense, reversible but pathological vasospasm, because of its duration, diffusion, intensity, and disproportion as to the triggering event. The symptoms may recur, but they respond to physiotherapy. Patients' follow-up showed that microcirculatory function remains abnormal sometime after the initial episode with, in particular, an exacerbation of the venoarteriolar reflex.
Pistorius
Marc-Antoine
MA
Department of Internal and Vascular Medicine, University Hospital Hôtel-Dieu, Nantes, France. marc.pistorius@chu-nantes.fr
Connault
Jérôme
J
Kalassy
Chady
C
Goueffic
Yann
Y
Planchon
Bernard
B
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005121:Extremities / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000503:physiopathology; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012019:Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D013035:Spasm / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013577:Syndrome; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy