Diagnostic criteria used in studies of reflex sympathetic dystrophy

Assessment of the diagnostic criteria of reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) and evaluation of the impact of the introduction of the diagnostic criteria of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) on the international application of diagnostic criteria of RSD.

Randomized controlled trials and clinical investigations, published between January 1980 and June 2000, were evaluated with regard to the applied diagnostic criteria of RSD.

One hundred seven studies were identified. Thirty-four of these studies were excluded because of inadequate reporting of diagnostic criteria. The 73 included studies were not homogeneous with regard to the diagnostic criteria because they applied many different aspects of sensory and autonomic features. Only 12% of the studies considered the presence of motor features, mostly vaguely described, as mandatory for the diagnosis RSD. Although 10 of the 23 studies published since the introduction of CRPS have applied this term, only 3 used the exact criteria without additions or other modifications.

Diagnostic criteria sets of RSD focus on many different aspects of sensory and autonomic features that generally are described vaguely. This has not changed since the introduction of the CPRS criteria. These findings question whether the current criteria adequately define RSD.