Unfallchirurgie
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Reflex sympathetic dystrophy can be elicited by various factors (e. g. trauma, herpes zoster, myocardial infarction). Independent of kind and site of a lesion, symptoms occur most often in the whole distal part of the affected extremity. There in most cases, a triad of autonomic, motor and sensory disturbances can be found clinically. ⋯ The most relevant pathomechanism in this process seems to be the occurrence of an imbalance between the activity of sympathetic vasoconstrictor neurons supplying arteries and those, supplying veins. A sympatholytic therapy, if applied in time, is able to cut off the vicious circle, which may lead to a restitutio ad integrum. Further investigations will show to what extent psychological factors are involved in developing the central nervous disturbance of the sympathetic nervous system and may also show if in addition the motor system is affected.