Abstract

Patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy are often considered by physicians and allied health personnel as having a peculiar personality. In medical literature they are frequently described as anxious and depressive, emotional, nervous and irritable patients with neurovegetative instability. A review of the literature on psychological research in this field is not always illuminating. Hypochondria and hysteria, whether or not accompanied by depression, are frequently reported to be typical traits, whereas other findings point more in the direction of psychosis. Increased anxiety, emotional lability and lowered self-esteem are psychological entities that are regularly encountered. The present study includes 42 cases of severe reflex sympathetic dystrophy. Except for the 7 cases of Sudeck atrophy of the hand and wrist, the localization was always in the foot or ankle. The majority of patients had a history of fractures or orthopedic procedures on the lower limbs as a causative factor. In addition to an interview, two questionnaires and a projective test (Rorschach) were used in the personality assessment. While the Rorschach test did not reveal any findings that could be considered as typical of our study population, we did observe different frequency distributions for the personality traits "self-satisfaction", "rigidity" and "somatization".