[Case report on osteoarthropathy following frostbite]

On the basis of a casuistics of a 38-year-old male is reported on osteoarticular changes after local congelation. 10 years after a second- to third-degree injury of the right hand the patient was admitted to the dispensary for rheumatism under suspicion of a rheumatoid arthritis. Differential-diagnostic aspects and reports in literature on the clinical as well as radiological variation of the course of local congelations are discussed. Here the large temporary intervals between local frost injury, early and late clinical and radiological symptoms with 3 and 10 years, respectively, are conspicuous and little known.