Pregabalin Treatment of a Patient With Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a painful and disabling neurovascular condition. There is no consensus on the etiopathogenesis or the treatment. We present a patient with CRPS type 1 accompanied by a psychiatric disorder to discuss the relationship between CRPS and Psychiatric disease and to emphasize the response of this case to treatment with pregabalin. PATIENT DESCRIPTION: A 15-year-old girl presented with swelling, severe pain, edema, hyperesthesia, allodynia, and sweating changes in the left arm and was diagnosed as CRPS type 1. The presence of disturbed family relations was revealed on psychiatric examination, and a diagnosis of major depression was made. Her symptoms did not respond to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressives, gabapentin, or stellate ganglion blockage, but the patient's pain resolved with pregabalin. Symptom-oriented measures and psychiatric support enabled ongoing treatment. A social services evaluation led to her being placed in the care of social services to protect her from the chaotic and traumatic family life. CONCLUSION: Detailed psycological and psychiatric evaluation is recommended in individuals with CRPS because psychiatric support and improvement of associated psychosocial concerns in addition to pregabalin seems to facilitate treatments in some patients.