Does Temperature Increase by Sympathetic Neurolysis Improve Pain in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome? A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Lumbar sympathetic neurolysis (LSN) is a treatment option for complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). We examined whether LSN-related temperature changes are associated with clinical outcome and investigated relationships between the outcome of LSN and clinical variables in patients with CRPS-I.

Methods: We included 95 patients with CRPS-I affecting a single lower extremity, by the Budapest criteria, and who underwent LSN after successful lumbar sympathetic blocks, in this retrospective study.

A brief report on a technical description of ultrasound-guided lumbar sympathetic block.

The lumbar sympathetic ganglion block (LSGB) is widely used for diagnosing and treating sympathetically maintained pain disorders. The LSGB has been conventionally carried out under fluoroscopy or computed tomography guidance. However, as ultrasound technology improved, ultrasound-guided interventions have been expanding their territory to deeper structures.