[Cold intolerance syndrome--a review]

Cold sensitivity is defined as a complex of symptoms occurring after injuries, which patophysiology remains obscure, but is probably of multifactorial nature, and which may be a cause of severe complaints and disability of the hand when exposed to the cold. The symptoms include numbness and stiffness of fingers, pain, discolouration (paleness, cyanosis), swelling and reduction of grip strength. This disorder affects more frequently upper than lower extremity, may develop after variety of injuries and elective operations, but the most commonly occurs in patients with replanted fingers or hands. Their incidence is reported of 50-100% and is related to many factors, including mechanism of trauma, type of damaged structures, but also to climate in which patient lives and works. The symptoms tend either to disappear or exacerbate with time passing. There are no known measures or therapies which can prevent development of the syndrome or which can effectively manage it.