Reflex sympathetic dystrophy following traumatic myelopathy

Abstract

Two cases of reflex sympathetic dystrophy in the upper extremity of patients with traumatic cervical spinal cord injuries are reported. Both patients had very incomplete lesions with early neurological recovery, suggesting an underlying central cord syndrome. Although reflex sympathetic dystrophy is often seen following stroke, it has only rarely been documented in traumatic myelopathy, and it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unexplained pain syndromes in the extremities of paraplegic or quadriplegic patients.