[Sudeck syndrome--a combined clinico-roentgenologic-nuclear medicine study]

147 patients with clinical suspicion of a Sudeck syndrome were submitted to X-ray and nuclear medical examinations. The clinical suspicion was confirmed in 122 patients. In six cases showing no X-ray symptoms, the diagnosis could only be confirmed by scintigraphy. A new classification of stages was necessary for therapeutic reasons: I = early stage, II = acute/subacute stage, III = healing stage, IV = defective recovery. Modifications due to therapy were demonstrated early by 100 scintigraphic check-up examinations, whereas the evidence of such modifications in X-ray pictures was delayed. The study describes the X-ray morphology as well as the scintigraphic manifestations of the Sudeck syndrome. The study shows that scintigraphy is a valuable examination method. It is useful in diagnosing early stages often not detected in X-ray examination, in the assessment of the evolution of a disease, and in the classification of stages.