Clinical Presentation of Shoulder-Hand Syndrome: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Pain Management
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Shoulder-hand syndrome (SHS) is a neurological disorder causing pain, dysfunction, and trophic changes in the shoulder and hand.
• SHS shares features with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), with historical terminology causing confusion.
• This review clarifies SHS presentation and explores differences between triggered and idiopathic cases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the clinical presentation of shoulder-hand syndrome (SHS).
• To provide a comprehensive clinical picture for clinicians and researchers.
• To examine symptom variations between triggered and idiopathic SHS.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar.
• Screening of articles from 1940-2025 describing SHS symptoms.
• Exclusion of studies using alternative terminology for SHS.

Main Results:

• 33 articles met inclusion criteria from over 16,000 identified.
• Predominant symptoms include shoulder pain, hand pain, and swelling.
• Post-hemiplegic SHS patients showed more trophic symptoms, while post-myocardial infarction patients had joint contractures.

Conclusions:

• This review details SHS symptoms, aiding clinicians and researchers in differentiating it from CRPS.
• SHS may be a subtype of CRPS, but further research, including quantitative sensory testing, is required for validation.
• Phenotyping SHS patients and understanding inciting events are crucial for future classification.