Complex regional pain syndrome type I in children.
BACKGROUND
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type I (CRPS I) is a potentially incapacitating syndrome which can occur after a minor injury or operation to a limb. It is a disorder characterized by pain, sensory and motor disturbances. CRPS I is well known in adults, but a relatively new diagnostic entity in children. The clinical presentation of CRPS I in children is, to some extent, different from adults and therefore sometimes not recognized early. The aim of this study was to search for differences in patient characteristics between children and adults with CRPS I.


METHODS
We have performed a retrospective chart review of 78 children (age </=16 year) with CRPS I and compared the data with those of 951 adults with CRPS I.


RESULTS
The child population consisted predominantly of girls and older children (median age 13 years). The child population differed from adults in that the skin temperature of the involved extremity at onset was more often cooler, the lower extremity was involved more frequently and neurological and sympathetic symptoms were less pronounced.


CONCLUSIONS
In several aspects, CRPS I in children has a different presentation than in adults.
Tan
Edward C T H
EC
Department of General Surgery-Traumatology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. e.tan@chir.umcn.nl
Zijlstra
Basil
B
Essink
Marlou L
ML
Goris
R Jan A
RJ
Severijnen
René S V M
RS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012019:Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012881:Skin Temperature