Loin pain haematuria syndrome: distress resolved by pain relief

Loin pain haematuria syndrome (LPHS) is a syndrome of severe chronic pain of unknown aetiology. This study assessed pain, mood variables and psychiatric status in patients (n=26) with LPHS. Patients were assessed before and after treatment with capsaicin. Assessment inventories used were the McGill Pain Questionnaire, the Pain Discomfort Scale, the General Health Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Pain relief was achieved in 65% of patients. In this group pain (P < 0.001) and psychiatric (P < 0.01) scores were significantly reduced. By comparison, in those patients who did not gain pain relief, scores remained steady (P > 0.05). In addition, most pain-free patients completely stopped their opiate analgesia without addictive symptoms. These results suggest an organic pathology to LPHS and militate against suggestions of primary psychological cause or drug addiction. The results also show that the psychiatric disturbances associated with this chronic pain disappear if the pain disappears.