Editor-in-Chief: Alaa Abd-Elsayed, MD, PhD
PDF
BACKGROUND: Lower extremity complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a debilitating, neuropathic pain disorder that may develop into a refractory, chronic condition, which currently has no gold-standard treatment. We would like to share the first report of a transnasal sphenopalatine ganglion block with lidocaine that effectively relieved the pain of a patient suffering from lower extremity CRPS.
CASE REPORT: A 48-year-old man with CRPS suffered from pain that was resistant to analgesic medications, spinal blocks, and a spinal cord stimulator. A sphenopalatine ganglion block was administered to the patient via long, hollow cotton-tip applicators with lidocaine drops. After just one block, for the first time in 10 years, he was 100% pain free for 5 days.
CONCLUSIONS: This case report demonstrates that the lidocaine sphenopalatine ganglion block could be a simple, safe, inexpensive, and noninvasive treatment option for those affected by lower extremity CRPS.
KEY WORDS: Sphenopalatine ganglion block, lidocaine, chronic pain, complex regional pain syndrome
