Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2024 Jul 9;16(7):e64140.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.64140. eCollection 2024 Jul.

Neuropathic Pain Masquerading as Dermatologic Symptoms: A Case of Misleading Cutaneous Presentation

Monica Khadka  1 , Devaun M Reid  1 , Erin McClure  2 , Amanda Krenitsky  2 , Catherine Kowalewski  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

Neuropathic Pain Masquerading as Dermatologic Symptoms: A Case of Misleading Cutaneous Presentation

Monica Khadka et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Neuropathic pain presenting as dermatologic symptoms can occur when damaged or dysfunctional nerves manifest with symptoms that resemble skin-related conditions. We present a case of a 62-year-old male who presented with burning pain and redness in the perineum and gluteal cleft. Initially, the patient was treated for dermatologic symptoms, resulting in the resolution of erythema. However, the pain persisted, prompting a neurologic workup. Despite the improvement of skin symptoms, the patient's pain persisted, prompting a neurological workup. Diagnostic imaging revealed significant degenerative changes in the lumbar spine, supporting a neuropathic etiology. This case highlights the importance of considering neurologic disorders in dermatologic practice, especially when cutaneous symptoms persist despite appropriate dermatological treatments.

Keywords: lumbar; neuropathic; neuropathic pain; perineal pain; pudendal neuralgia.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. A T2-weighted sagittal MRI demonstrating multilevel degenerative disc disease with central disc protrusion, severe central spinal stenosis, and compression of the cauda equina nerve roots at L1-L2.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Pain and pain management in dermatology. Beiteke U, Bigge S, Reichenberger C, Gralow I. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2015;13:967–987. - PubMed
    1. Management of pain associated with selected conditions in dermatology. Al-Ghazawi FM, Ramien ML, Brassard A, Shear NH, Beecker J. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2016;17:463–474. - PubMed
    1. Dermatological conditions inducing acute and chronic pain. Hayoun-Vigouroux M, Misery L. Acta Derm Venereol. 2022;102:0. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Neuropathic pain. Colloca L, Ludman T, Bouhassira D, et al. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2017;3:17002. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Differentiating overlapping symptoms of vulvodynia and pudendal neuralgia. Ghizzani A, Carta S, Casoni A, Ferrata P, Luisi S, Fortina M. Br J Pain. 2019;13:54–58. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources