[Erythromelalgia: Diagnosis and therapeutic approach]

Erythromelalgia is a rare intermittent vascular acrosyndrome characterized by the combination of recurrent burning pain, warmth and redness of the extremities. It is considered in its primary form as an autosomal dominant neuropathy related to mutations of SCN9A, the encoding gene of a voltage-gated sodium channel subtype Nav1.7. Secondary erythromelalgia is associated with myeloproliferative disorders, drugs (bromocriptine, calcium channel blockers), or clinical conditions such as rheumatic diseases or viral infection. Primary familial erythromelalgia include genetics and sporadic forms associated with small fibers neuropathy. Aspirin is a useful treatment of erythromelagia associated with myeloproliferative disorders. Treatment of primary erythromelalgia is difficult, individualized, with sodium channel blockers such as lidocaine, carbamazepine and mexiletine.