patientswithsevere reflexsympatheticdystrophy. Etiologyand incidenceis xvi Serieseditorforeword still unclear. Diagnosis is made late and treatment is not standardized Clinicians whotreatcausalgiaandreflexsympatheticdystrophyhavedifferent treatmentsbasedupon their background and experience,ratherthan on the mechanism ofthesyndrome itself. ThetimeisopportunenowtogathersomeunbiasedthoughtsonRSDand clem- the air. Our editors, in particular Michael Stanton-Hicks, needto be congratulatedfor organizing a timely symposium onthesubject and inviting international expertsto discuss the pathophysiology and treatmentofRSD. Whatfollowsinthismonograph isaclear,concisepresentationanddiscussion ofnomenclature, etiology, incidence, mechanism, treatment, and outcome of RSD.