Sympathetic dysfunction dermatitis in a revascularised upper extremity after near-total amputation – A case report and review of literature

• Main Authors: Amol Dhopte, Surendra Patil, Nitin Barde, Rupesh Thakre, Shree Harsh, Shailesh Nisal
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc. 2018-09-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery
• Subjects: eczematous dermatitis; replantation; revascularisation; skin lesions; sympathetic dysfunction
• Online Access: http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.4103/ijps.IJPS_135_17

Commonly reported complications after revascularisation or replantation of extremity are vascular thrombosis leading to complete or partial failure, bony non-union or malunion, joint stiffness and incomplete or abnormal sensory recovery. Sympathetic dysfunction dermatitis is an unreported complication after revascularisation or replantation surgery which results due to denervation of the extremity. We report a case of a young adult who developed eczematous dermatitis over the revascularised upper limb and discuss the role of sympathetic dysfunction in the development of these skin lesions. The patient was successfully treated with a short course of oral and topical steroids. Sympathetic dysfunction dermatitis is a rare form of skin eruptions occurring in the revascularised or replanted part of an extremity due to abnormal sympathetic function in the affected part.