Complex regional pain syndrome in a patient with spinal cord injury: management with pulsed radiofrequency lumbar sympatholysis

Abstract

Short communication. To report a case with bilateral lower extremity complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) in a patient with paraplegia occurring following spinal disc herniation surgery, who was treated successfully with pulse radiofrequency (PRF) lumbar sympatholysis. Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Algology Department of Anaesthesiology and Nuclear Medicine, Medical Faculty of Ege University, Izmir, Turkey. A 55-year-old woman had neuropathic pain in her lower extremities after T12-L1 disc herniation surgery. The pain decreased to a tolerable level with conservative treatment and her condition remained stable for the following 6 months; then she developed swelling, redness and severe burning pain in both feet. Physical examination showed edema and redness in the feet. On the basis of clinical findings and Tc-99m methylene diphosphonate (MDP) three-phase bone scintigraphy, she was diagnosed to have CRPS. The patient underwent a diagnostic sympathetic ganglion blockade with bupivacaine, which resulted in a marked decrease in the pain and edema of the feet. Consequently, PRF lumbar sympatholysis was performed with a successful outcome in pain, edema and color changes in the feet. When treatment of CRPS fails with conventional modalities, PRF sympatholysis may be used for control of pain and other symptoms in such patients.