Skin lesions occurring in clients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome

A study was conducted of 198 clients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome (RSDS) to gather demographic and descriptive data related to the occurrence of skin lesions. Participants ranged in age from 18-78 years, were predominantly women and represented all three stages of RSDS. Findings indicated that clients with RSDS develop distinctive skin lesions in addition to the cutaneous changes described in the literature. Skin lesions occur in the first and second stages of the syndrome. Skin lesions reportedly worsened in 135 clients (68%) when their pain became more severe, and correspondingly, seemed to improve as the pain decreased.