Signs and Symptoms in 1,043 Patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Abstract

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a complex pain disorder that can emerge after limb trauma or a lesion in the peripheral nervous system. Typical features include continuing pain, sensory, vasomotor, sudomotor, motor, and trophic changes as well as edema. These signs provide the basis of CRPS diagnosis. A detailed description of the signs, symptoms, and medical history of CRPS could potentially facilitate an earlier and more accurate diagnosis. The aim of this study was to provide such a description, on the basis of epidemiological measures, clinical presentation, and a thorough description of pain sensations. Some signs (eg, differences of skin temperature >1°C), which have been thought to be crucial for diagnosis, were less common than assumed. We identified 11 distinct etiological triggers, which cover more than 99% of the study participants. We developed a weighted score on the basis of the most decisive data, which achieved a sensitivity of .869 and a specificity of .829, compared with .819 and .679 for the Budapest criteria. The weighted diagnostic criteria may help to better aid in distinguishing CRPS from other pain disorders.

Perspective: This article provides a retrospective epidemiological analysis of 1,043 CRPS patients compared with 421 patients with other pain disorders. The findings could potentially facilitate a more reliable and earlier diagnosis of CRPS, a better differentiation from other pain disorders, and ultimately in a more targeted and effective therapy.

Keywords: Complex regional pain syndrome; diagnostic criteria; neuropathic pain; signs and symptoms.