Scintigraphic evaluation of reflex sympathetic dystrophy: comparative study of the course of the disease under two therapeutic regimens

A study was made of 26 patients diagnosed as phase I reflex sympathetic dystrophy. In all of them, a bone:soft tissue uptake index was quantified by scintigraphic scanning before treatment and 3 months later. Eighteen patients were treated with 100 MRC units salmon calcitonin, followed by 500 mg elemental calcium 4 hours after hormone administration. The treatment was administered 10 days a month separated by intervals free of therapy. The other 8 patients were treated without interruption with 500 mg naproxen every 12 hours. In the group treated with calcitonin and calcium, the uptake index declined from 13.3 +/- 8.2 to 4.1 +/- 1.8 (p less than 0.001). The uptake index rose from 2.1.3 +/- 17.7 to 31.1 +/- 23.0 (NS) in the naproxen group. Using the Student t-test for paired samples to evaluate individual changes, a highly significant difference was reached (p less than 0.005) in the calcitonin-calcium group. The difference was also significant (p less than 0.01) in the naproxen group, but it was negative (t = 3.620). These results confirm the efficacy of treating reflex sympathetic dystrophy with calcitonin and calcium and the superiority of this treatment as compared with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.