Sudeck's dystrophy of the hand. MR imaging.

We report on Sudeck's dystrophy in a 69-year-old woman who complained of recurrent pain and local inflammation in the right hand. Magnetic resonance (MR) using T1- and T2-weighted images before and after intravenous administration of gadolinium diethylene-triamine pentaacetic acid demonstrated soft-tissue swelling, bone signal intensity changes in some carpals and metacarpals, and small effusions in the adjacent joints. MR imaging provides simultaneous assessment of bone and soft-tissue involvement, proving its value in the diagnosis of this entity.