Editor-in-Chief: Alaa Abd-Elsayed, MD, PhD
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BACKGROUND: Frostbite is an injury caused by exposure to extreme cold that can result in chronic refractory pain due to sensory neuropathy in severe cases, with limited treatment options. We report the use of neuromodulation targeting the dorsal root ganglion for the treatment of refractory foot pain due to frostbite neuropathy.
CASE PRESENTATION: A 65-year-old man presented 40 years after a frostbite injury with continued refractory burning and severe pain in his left foot. After failing multiple interventions, the patient underwent a dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation and implantation at the left L5 level with significant improvement of his pain.
CONCLUSION: The patient experienced significant improvement in pain at 24 months after DRG stimulation trial and implantation. This case report suggests that the use of DRG stimulation may provide effective treatment of refractory pain due to frostbite injury. KEY WORDS: Dorsal root ganglion stimulation, frostbite, frostbite neuropathy, neuralgia, neuromodulation, spinal cord stimulation
