MR imaging in algodystrophy of the limbs

The recent literature and the authors' own results on five patients show high sensitivity and specificity of MR imaging to diagnose algodystrophy of the hip. Therefore, the authors investigated the usefulness of MR imaging in algodystrophy of the limbs. On 26 patients with positive bone scans suggesting algodystrophy, T1-weighted and T2- weighted MR imaging was performed. In 17 patients, the clinical course confirmed the diagnosis. MR imaging showed nonspecific soft-tissue changes in five patients. In the remaining 12 patients, the MR images were normal. Of the nine patients in whom the clinical course did not support the diagnosis of algodystrophy, MR imaging was normal in only three. MR imaging seems to be of little value in the diagnosis of algodystrophy of the limbs