Complex regional pain syndrome-A forgotten entity

Abstract

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a painful condition characterized by regional pain that is disproportionate temporality and severity to the usual course of any known cause. The pain is regional which is not in a specific nerve territory or dermatomal distribution. Judicious clinical suspicion and targeted investigations are necessary for correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment. We hereby report a case of a young lady with CRPS who presented to us with unilateral upper limb pain, swelling, discoloration and muscle atrophy without any history of inciting injury.

Keywords: Bone scan; causalgia; complex regional pain syndrome; stellate ganglion blockade.

Figure 1

Flexion deformity at proximal and distal interphalyngeal joints involving left 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th digits

Figure 2

Clubbing of digits with increased nail angle along with whitening and excessive shining of nails of 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th digits

Figure 3

Hand and wrist radiograph demonstrating periarticular osteopenia at metacarpophalyngeal joint and patchy osteopenia of wrist bones

Figure 4

Showing technique of ultrasound guided stellate ganglion block