LABORATORY FINDINGS IN REFLEX SYMPATHETIC DYSTROPHY - A PRELIMINARY-REPORT

Objective: The purpose of our study was to compare sudomotor and vasom otor indices in patients with clinical reflex sympathetic dystrophy. D esign: Vasomotor tone was determined by measuring skin blood flow with laser Doppler flowmeters and skin temperature by infrared thermometry . Resting and evoked sweat output was measured with the quantitative s udomotor axon reflex test. Control values were determined from studies on 223 normal subjects. Setting: The setting was a tertiary/academic medical center. Patients: There were 12 patients with clinical reflex sympathetic dystrophy in an extremity. Main Outcome Measures: These we re skin vasomotor tone and evoked sweat output. Results: Resting sweat output asymmetry was seen in 67% of patients, quantitative sudomotor axon reflex test asymmetry was seen in 75%, and vasomotor changes in 8 0%. When sudomotor and vasomotor indices were combined, abnormalities were seen in all patients. Conclusions: Laboratory quantitation of aut onomic indices enhances the clinical evaluation of patients with refle x sympathetic dystrophy.