Complex regional pain syndrome: An update

Abstract

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a perplexing painful syndrome of the extremities usually following a harmful event. It is distinguished in two types, mainly depending on the presence of nerve injury. Although its prevalence may vary depending on social and ethnic factors, middle-aged women seem to suffer most often and the upper limb is the most commonly affected extremity. Apart from pain, which is the dominating feature, the clinical picture unfolds across several domains: sensory, motor, autonomic and trophic. This syndrome develops in two phases, the acute (warm) phase, with the classic symptoms of inflammation, and the chronic (cold) phase, often characterized by trophic changes of the soft tissues and even bones. Although the syndrome has been studied for over two decades, no imaging or laboratory test has been established for the diagnosis and recently proposed diagnostic criteria have not yet been validated and are only occasionally applied. Its pathophysiology is still quite obscure, although the most likely mechanisms involve the classic and neurogenic paths of inflammation mediated by cytokines and neuropeptides, intertwined with changes of the autonomic and central nervous system, psychological mechanisms and, perhaps, autoimmunity. Although plenty of treatment modalities have been tried, none has been proven unequivocally efficacious. Apart from information and education, which should be offered to all patients, the most effective pharmacological treatments seem to be bisphosphonates, glucocorticoids and vasoactive mediators, while physical therapy and rehabilitation therapy also make part of the treatment.