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Temperature difference between the affected and unaffected limbs in complex regional pain syndrome
Burcu Candan1, Semih Gungor1,2
1Division of Musculoskeletal & Interventional Pain Management, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care & Pain Management, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Pain Management
|August 8, 2024
Summary
Most complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) patients show no significant temperature difference between limbs. This study found 77% of CRPS patients lacked notable temperature asymmetry before treatment.
Area of Science:
- Pain Medicine
- Medical Imaging
- Neurology
Background:
- Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) presents as warm or cold subtypes.
- Understanding subtype distribution is crucial for effective treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of warm and cold CRPS subtypes.
- To analyze temperature asymmetry in CRPS patients before lumbar sympathetic block.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 81 pre-lumbar sympathetic block Forward Looking InfraRed (FLIR) images.
- Evaluation of temperature differences between affected and unaffected limbs in 30 CRPS patients.
Main Results:
- 77% of patients (23/30) exhibited normal temperature asymmetry (<0.6°C difference).
- Cold-CRPS was diagnosed in 20% (6/30) and warm-CRPS in 3% (1/30).
- 74% of patients maintained normal temperature asymmetry during interventions.
Conclusions:
- FLIR imaging revealed minimal temperature asymmetry in most CRPS patients.
- The majority of CRPS patients do not display significant thermal differences between limbs.
- This finding may refine diagnostic criteria and treatment approaches for CRPS subtypes.
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