Sympathetic skin response (SSR) in erythromelalgia.
BACKGROUND
Erythromelalgia (EM) is characterized by severe pain associated with local redness and hotness in the extremities. When the extremity is lowered, or heat is applied, the pain is intensified and when coldness is applied, or the extremity is elevated the pain is decreased.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate if there is any sympathetic nervous system involvement in erythromelalgia, sympathetic skin response (SSR) test was done.


METHODS
This study was conducted during the years 1998-2000 in the Department of Physical medicine and Rehabilitation, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences.


METHODS
SSR study was done on 22 patients with erythromelalgia and 22 normal subjects were matched for age and sex for comparison.


RESULTS
There is a significant difference between the patients and controls especially in the lower extremity findings (P = 0.000). More than 72.7% of the patients had abnormal SSR.


CONCLUSIONS
It is concluded that sympathetic peripheral fibers (C fibers) are involved in erythromelalgia and it is probably the pathogenesis of the disease.
Kazemi
B
B
Dept. of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box: 71345-1733, Bahonar Post Office, Shiraz, Iran. Bkazemi@hotmail.com
Shooshtari
S M Jazayeri
SM
Nasab
M R Vafaii
MR
Roghani
R Salman
RS
Haghighi
F Moslemi
FM
D000293:Adolescent; D000320:Adrenergic Fibers / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001132:Arm / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004576:Electromyography; D004916:Erythromelalgia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*