Intravenous Immunoglobulin to Fight Complex Regional Pain Syndromes: Hopes and Doubts
Authors: Frank Birklein
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2010)

Editorials2 February 2010Intravenous Immunoglobulin to Fight Complex Regional Pain Syndromes: Hopes and DoubtsFrank Birklein, MD, PhD and Claudia Sommer, MD, PhDFrank Birklein, MD, PhDFrom University of Mainz, Mainz 55131, Germany; and University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97080, Germany. and Claudia Sommer, MD, PhDFrom University of Mainz, Mainz 55131, Germany; and University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97080, Germany.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-152-3-201002020-00013 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Chronic pain is multifaceted. It involves changes in somatosensory processing from the primary afferent neurons to the brain; it induces negative emotions, such as fear and depression; and it often entails serious consequences for working ability and personal life. Long-standing complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) has all of these features and may be associated with substantial reduction of limb function, leading to physical impairment (1).In recent years, we have made progress in understanding CRPS. Studies of the acute phase of posttraumatic CRPS show the importance of cytokines (2) and growth factors (3) for pain and hyperalgesia; the involvement of ...References1. Birklein F. Chapter 35. Complex regional pain syndrome. Handb Clin Neurol. 2006;81:529-46. [PMID: 18808857] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Uçeyler N, Eberle T, Rolke R, Birklein F, Sommer C. Differential expression patterns of cytokines in complex regional pain syndrome. Pain. 2007;132:195-205. [PMID: 17890011] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Sabsovich I, Wei T, Guo TZ, Zhao R, Shi X, Li X, et al. Effect of anti-NGF antibodies in a rat tibia fracture model of complex regional pain syndrome type I. Pain. 2008;138:47-60. [PMID: 18083307] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. 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[PMID: 10639611] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From University of Mainz, Mainz 55131, Germany; and University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97080, Germany.Grant Support: By the German Research Foundation (Bi 579/1) and the University of Mainz.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M09-2704.Corresponding Author: Frank Birklein, MD, PhD, University of Mainz, Department of Neurology, Langenbeckstrasse 1, Mainz 55131, Germany; e-mail, [email protected]klinik.uni-mainz.de.Current Author Addresses: Dr. Birklein: University of Mainz, Department of Neurology, Langenbeckstrasse 1, Mainz 55131, Germany.Dr. Sommer: Department of Neurology, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 11, Würzburg 97080, Germany. 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