[Algodystrophy in the child and the adolescent: the comparative aspects with that in the adult]

Algodystrophy is a pathology of the adult which rarely affects children. During childhood, it may appear between the ages of 3 and 16 years, with great prevalence among the female sex. It is usually associated to predisposing factors and the most frequent starting factor is of a traumatic nature. It affects mainly the lower limbs. From a clinical perspective, it is characterized by hyperesthesia and cutaneous hypothermia. The radiological findings are usually normal during the whole evolution and the bone gammagraphy usually shows hypofixation. The evolution is generally favourable. It can be clearly distinguished from algodystrophy in the adult due to its higher prevalence among the female sex, the already mentioned clinical aspects, the radiological normality and the isotopic hypofixation.