patientswithsevere reflexsympatheticdystrophy. Etiologyand incidenceis xvi Serieseditorforeword still unclear. Diagnosis is made late and treatment is not standardized Clinicians whotreatcausalgiaandreflexsympatheticdystrophyhavedifferent treatmentsbasedupon their background and experience,ratherthan on the mechanism ofthesyndrome itself. ThetimeisopportunenowtogathersomeunbiasedthoughtsonRSDand clem- the air. Our editors, in particular Michael Stanton-Hicks, needto be congratulatedfor organizing a timely symposium onthesubject and inviting international expertsto discuss the pathophysiology and treatmentofRSD. Whatfollowsinthismonograph isaclear,concisepresentationanddiscussion ofnomenclature, etiology, incidence, mechanism, treatment, and outcome of RSD.

Springer Book Archives

Section I General Considerations.- 1. Reflex sympathetic dystrophy: Clinical features.- 2. Reflex sympathetic dystrophy: Incidence and epidemiology.- 3. Chronic pain mechanisms.- 4. Sympathetically maintained pain principles of diagnosis and therapy.- 5. Psychosomatic aspects of reflex sympathetic dystrophy.- Section II Basic Researches in Pathophysiology of RSD.- 6. Pathobiology of reflex sympathetic dystrophy: Some general considerations.- 7. Spinal hyperexcitability in sympathetically maintained pain.- 8. Neuropharmacologies aspects of reflex sympathetic dystrophy.- 9. Clinical and neurophysiological observations relating to pathophysiological mechanisms of reflex sympathetic dystrophy.- 10. Mechanisms and role of peripheral blood flow dysregulation in pain sensation and edema in reflex sympathetic dystrophy.- Section III Therapeutic Techniques in BSD.- 11. Sympathetic nerve blocks: Their role in sympathetic pain.- 12. Intravenous regional sympathetic blocks.- 13. Reflex sympathetic dystrophy - Neurosurgical approaches.- 14. Peripheral nerve stimulator implant for treatment of RSD.- 15. Psychological support of the patient with reflex sympathetic dystrophy.- 16. Reflex sympathetic dystrophy non-invasive methods of treatment.- 17. Multi-disciplinary management of reflex sympathetic dystrophy.- Section IV New Techniques.- 18. Three-phase bone scanning in reflex sympathetic dystrophy.- 19. An investigation of the role of clonidine in the treatment of reflex sympathetic dystrophy.- Summary Comments.- Proposed Definition of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.