title: Improvement of complex regional pain syndrome after plasmapheresis.
abstract: Complex regional pain syndrome is a severe complication following trauma that is associated with vasomotor, sudomotor and sensory disturbances in an affected limb or region of the body. The exact physiopathology is not fully understood yet. Recently, autoantibody findings suggested an immune-mediated physiopathology of the disease. We here describe two otherwise treatment-resistant patients with complex regional pain syndrome and high-titre beta2 adrenergic receptor autoantibodies, who did respond to plasmapheresis. Both patients showed strong improvement of pain and autonomic symptoms measured by impairment level sum score.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany; Department of Neurology, Gummersbach Hospital, Gummersbach, Germany.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Blaes
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dharmalingam
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tschernatsch
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feustel
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fritz
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kohr
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaps
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Szalay
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020918:Complex Regional Pain Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010956:Plasmapheresis / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome