Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment for painful sensory neuropathy associated with Sjögren's syndrome.
BACKGROUND
Patients with painful sensory neuropathy associated with Sjögren's syndrome-associated neuropathy often show severe neuropathic pain which is not relieved by conventional treatments.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy in the treatment of neuropathic pain associated with Sjögren's syndrome.


METHODS
We examined 5 patients affected by painful sensory neuropathy associated with Sjögren's syndrome. All patients were treated with IVIg (0.4 g/kg/day for 5 days) and pain rating was assessed by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).


RESULTS
All five patients showed a remarkable improvement in neuropathic pain following IVIg therapy. Pain, assessed by the determination of mean VAS score, was reduced by 73.4% from days 2-14 following treatment. The observed clinical improvement persisted for 2 to 6 months. One patient, examined by quantitative sensory testing (QST), showed an improvement of superficial sensory deficit accompanied by pain relief.


CONCLUSIONS
IVIg might be an effective treatment for pain in Sjögren's syndrome-associated neuropathy. Further studies should be done in a controlled, blind study.
Morozumi
Saori
S
Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
Kawagashira
Yuichi
Y
Iijima
Masahiro
M
Koike
Haruki
H
Hattori
Naoki
N
Katsuno
Masahisa
M
Tanaka
Fumiaki
F
Sobue
Gen
G
D000368:Aged; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013979:Tibial Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous