PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Clare S Murray AU - Alison Cohen AU - Tessa Perkins AU - Joyce E Davidson AU - John A Sills TI - Morbidity in reflex sympathetic dystrophy AID - 10.1136/adc.82.3.231 DP - 2000 Mar 01 TA - Archives of Disease in Childhood PG - 231--233 VI - 82 IP - 3 4099 - http://adc.bmj.com/content/82/3/231.short 4100 - http://adc.bmj.com/content/82/3/231.full SO - Arch Dis Child2000 Mar 01; 82 AB - Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), an unusual diagnosis in general paediatrics, is well recognised by paediatric rheumatologists. This study reports the presentation and the clinical course of 46 patients (35 female, age range 8–15.2) with RSD. The patients saw professionals from an average of 2.3 specialties (range 1–5). Twenty five (54%) had a history of trauma. Median time to diagnosis was 12 weeks (range 1–130). Many children had multiple investigations and treatments. Once diagnosis was made, treatment followed with physiotherapy and analgesics. Median time to recovery was seven weeks (range 1–140), with 27.5% relapsing. Nine children required assessment by the child and adolescent psychiatry team. This disease, though rare, has significant morbidity and it is therefore important to raise clinicians' awareness of RSD in childhood. Children with the condition may then be recognised and referred for appropriate management earlier, and spared unnecessary investigations and treatments which may exacerbate the condition.