scholarly journals Treatment of Long-Standing Complex Regional Pain Syndrome with Therapeutic Plasma Exchange: A Preliminary Case Series of Patients Treated in 2008–2014

Pain Medicine ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 2163-2164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Goebel ◽  
Sandra Jones ◽  
Susmita Oomman ◽  
Therese Callaghan ◽  
Guenter Sprotte
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Exchange ◽  
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Pain Syndrome ◽  
Therapeutic Plasma Exchange

scholarly journals Complex regional pain syndrome and dysautonomia in a 14-year-old girl responsive to therapeutic plasma exchange

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 368-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeanne E. Hendrickson ◽  
Emma T. Hendrickson ◽  
Eric A. Gehrie ◽  
Davinder Sidhu ◽  
Gerd Wallukat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Exchange ◽  
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome ◽  
Pain Syndrome ◽  
Therapeutic Plasma Exchange

Stimulation of Dorsal Root Ganglia for the Management of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: A Prospective Case Series

Pain Practice ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 208-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Pierre Van Buyten ◽  
Iris Smet ◽  
Liong Liem ◽  
Marc Russo ◽  
Frank Huygen
Keyword(s):  
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome ◽  
Dorsal Root Ganglia ◽  
Dorsal Root ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Pain Syndrome ◽  
Prospective Case Series ◽  
Stimulation Of

scholarly journals Plasma Exchange Therapy in Patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

2015 ◽  
Vol 18;4 (4;18) ◽  
pp. 383-394
Author(s):  
Guillermo M. Alexander
Keyword(s):  
Maintenance Therapy ◽  
Plasma Exchange ◽  
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome ◽  
Clinical Presentation ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Pain Syndrome ◽  
Small Fiber Neuropathy ◽  
Plasma Exchange Therapy ◽  
Small Fiber ◽  
Drexel University

Background: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a severe chronic pain condition that most often develops following trauma. Some investigators have postulated CRPS to be a post-traumatic neuralgia associated with distal degeneration of small-diameter peripheral axons. Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment (IVIG) has been shown to be efficacious in the treatment of painful polyneuropathies. Some CRPS patients have been reported to respond to IVIG. Based on a recent hypothesis proposing an autoimmune etiology for CRPS, we decided to offer plasma exchange therapy (PE) to CRPS patients with a clinical presentation suggestive of a small fiber neuropathy. Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of PE in a group of CRPS patients with a clinical presentation suggestive of a small fiber neuropathy that were either non-responders or poor responders to their current treatment. Study Design: This is a retrospective case series study of CRPS patients that met the Budapest diagnostic criteria for CRPS and received PE as treatment for their illness between September 2012 and June 2014. Approval for this review was granted by the Drexel University Institutional Review Board. Setting: Drexel University College of Medicine pain clinic Methods: Thirty-three CRPS patients that received PE treatment were retrospectively studied. The workup for these patients consisted of a complete medical and pain evaluation, the completion of the short-form McGill questionnaire, quantitative sensory testing (QST), and skin punch biopsy. The PE protocol was as follows: all patients had a series of PE therapies (range 5 to 11 with a mean of 7.2) performed over a 2 to 3 week period. Following the PE series, the patients had a pain evaluation and completed the short-form McGill questionnaire. Patients that responded to PE were offered maintenance therapy consisting of either weekly PE or other immune modulating agents. In these patients, their pain was evaluated during the maintenance phase. Results: Thirty of the 33 patients demonstrated significant (P < 0.01) median pain reduction of 64% following the initial series of PE. Three patients demonstrated no improvement. Twenty-four patients are receiving maintenance therapy, the pain reduction in these patients following the initial PE series has been maintained with either weekly PE (n = 15), oral immune modulating agents (n = 8), or IVIG (n = 1). The remaining 6 patients are not receiving maintenance therapy and their pain has returned to pre-treatment levels. In addition, this study suggests that patients with the greatest loss of small fibers and the greatest temperature sensory deficits are most likey to benefit from PE therapy. Limitations: The major limitation of this study is its retrospective nature which includes nonrandomization, non-blinding, and an uncontrolled design. Conclusions: This study shows that PE is effective in a subset of patients with severe long-standing CRPS and that the reduction in pain following the initial series of PE treatments can be maintained on a weekly PE schedule, IVIG, or with other immune modulating drugs. Large, randomized, placebo controlled studies may be required to confirm and expand these results. Such studies may lead to new therapies for this severe life-altering condition. Key words: Complex regional pain syndrome, small fiber neuropathy, plasma exchange, skin punch biopsies, immune modulating therapies

scholarly journals Life-threatening COVID-19 presenting as stroke with antiphospholipid antibodies and low ADAMTS-13 activity, and the role of therapeutic plasma exchange: A case series

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 2050313X2096408
Author(s):  
Abdulrahman Alharthy ◽  
Fahad Faqihi ◽  
Abdullah Balhamar ◽  
Ziad A Memish ◽  
Dimitrios Karakitsos
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Plasma Exchange ◽  
Plasma Volume ◽  
Antiphospholipid Antibodies ◽  
Rescue Therapy ◽  
Antiviral Treatment ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Therapeutic Plasma Exchange ◽  
Life Threatening

We present a case series of three patients with COVID-19 who were admitted to our intensive care unit due to acute respiratory distress syndrome, brain infarction, pulmonary embolism, and antiphospholipid antibodies. We applied therapeutic plasma exchange on all cases. On intensive care unit admission, all patients had low (<10) Glasgow Coma Scale, and central nervous imaging showed multiple brain infarctions. COVID-19 was confirmed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assays. Patients underwent rescue therapeutic plasma exchange using the Spectra OptiaTM Apheresis System (Terumo BCT Inc., USA), which operates with acid-citrate dextrose anticoagulant as per Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes 2019 guidelines. A dose of 1.5 plasma volume was used for the first dose and then 1 plasma volume daily for a total of five doses. Plasma was replaced with Octaplas LG® (Octapharma AG, USA), which is an artificial fresh frozen plasma product that has undergone viral inactivation by prion reduction technology. We administered ARDS-net/prone positioning ventilation, empiric antiviral treatment, therapeutic anticoagulation, and intensive care unit supportive care. Laboratory tests showed lymphocytopenia; elevated levels of D-dimer, fibrinogen, total bilirubin, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and ferritin; as well as low levels of ADAMTS-13 activity and antibody. Serology tests depicted positive IgM and IgG antiphospholipid antibodies (anti-cardiolipin and anti-β2-glycoprotein I antibodies). No side effects of therapeutic plasma exchange were recorded. After the completion of therapeutic plasma exchange, patients improved clinically and gradually recovered neurologically (after 27–32 days). To conclude, in life-threatening COVID-19, especially when immune dysregulation features such as antiphospholipid antibodies exist, therapeutic plasma exchange could be an effective rescue therapy.

scholarly journals Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: A Case Series

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 186-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vlad Djuric
Keyword(s):  
Pain Relief ◽  
Lower Extremity ◽  
Effective Treatment ◽  
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome ◽  
Present Report ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Pain Syndrome ◽  
Sympathetic Chain ◽  
Type I ◽  
Pulsed Radiofrequency

BACKGROUND: Various forms of sympathetic chain neurolysis (sympathectomy) have, at one time or another, held promise as effective treatment options for complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Complications, such as worsening pain and the development of new pain syndromes, have prevented sympathectomy from emerging as a standard intervention. In an effort to avoid poor outcomes associated with neurolysis, pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) has been proposed as a potential treatment alternative for a number of chronic neuropathic pain states, including some forms of CRPS.METHODS: The present report describes three cases in which patients diagnosed with lower extremity CRPS type I obtained substantial and lasting intervals of pain relief following PRF of the lumbar sympathetic chain. Over a period of four years, 14 fluoroscopically guided procedures using PRF lesioning of the lumbar sympathetic chain at L2, L3 and L4 were performed in three individuals with CRPS type I of the lower limb. Outcome measures included pre- and post-treatment self-reported pain and medication requirements.RESULTS: Substantial pain relief (>50%) was achieved in 91.7% of PRF applications at three months and 83.3% at six months, with some treatments resulting in persistent relief well beyond 12 months. Medication use decreased to a comparable degree, with discontinuation of opiates after all but three treatments.CONCLUSIONS: PRF lesioning of the lumbar sympathetic chain can be an effective treatment for patients with CRPS type I of the lower extremity, with the potential to provide ≥6 months of substantial pain relief.

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