A young female patient with reflex sympathetic dystrophy of the upper limb in whom amputation became inevitable.

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) is characterized mostly by: (burning) pain, restricted range of motion, oedema and autonomic disturbances. Amputations in case of RSD patients should only be performed in cases of a dysfunctional limb, life threatening conditions such as untreatable infections or in cases in unbearable pain. The authors describe a patient in whom amputation became inevitable because of threatening infections.