title: [Intravenous lidocaine to treat scleroderma pain: case report.].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Scleroderma or progressive systemic sclerosis is a systemic connective tissue disease of unknown origin, which normally courses with microangiopathy, extremities ischemia and severe pain. This report aimed at describing a case of intravenous lidocaine to treat ischemic pain and at emphasizing potential anti-inflammatory action of local anesthetics in scleroderma patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female patient, clear mulatto 34 years old, nursing assistant, with scleroderma for approximately 8 years, presented with severe continuous, daily pain (numeric scale = 10) in upper and lower limbs, followed by trophic, color and temperature changes, and small ulcers on extremities. Patient was submitted to 1 weekly session of intravenous 2% lidocaine (400 mg) without vasoconstrictor for 10 weeks with pain, turgor, skin elasticity and peripheral perfusion improvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pain and other symptoms relief after intravenous lidocaine suggests that local anesthetics are able to modulate inflammatory response in different scleroderma stages.
authors.affiliation: Ambulatório de Dor, UFBA.
authors.forename: Durval Campos
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Kraychete
authors.forename: Ana Cristina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: Maria Goreth
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Edgar Marcelino de
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Carvalho