- Iltekin Duman: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, 06018 Etlik, Ankara, Turkey. iltekinduman@yahoo.com
The objective of this report is to represent a case of reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) secondary to the upper extremity deep venous thrombosis (DVT). A 21-year-old man admitted with the complaints of pain and swelling in his right upper limb was presented. The patient had been diagnosed DVT in the right subclavian vein. The thrombosis had recovered completely with the standard treatment of DVT and doppler ultrasound had revealed normal findings at follow-up. After few months, he developed limb edema and pain considering post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS). The patient showed no response to the treatments for PTS. He was diagnosed with RSD according to the clinical findings. The bone scan confirmed the diagnosis. He responded well to the physical therapy and therapeutic exercises program. RSD and PTS are the two conditions having some common features and resembling clinical pictures. RSD also should be kept in mind in differential diagnosis of patients who developed limb pain and edema after DVT. There are some different points in the characteristics of the common symptoms obtained in both of the clinical conditions. Bone scan can help to confirm the diagnosis if RSD is suspected. Because the treatments of two conditions are different, making the differential diagnosis is crucial.