What is central poststroke pain? Central poststroke pain (CPSP), also known as thalamic pain, results from injury to the thalamus or parietal lobe by ischemic or hemorrhagic lesions. The pain is usually dysesthetic with continuous burning, and may be associated with uncomfortable paresthesias. Allodynia is common, and some patients experience dramatic hyperpathia, with diffuse radiation …
What is an appropriate management strategy for acute zoster? Studies of antiviral treatment, such as famcyclovir and valacyclovir, have shown that early treatment shortens the time of pain associated with the acute attack, in essence reducing the incidence of PHN. Antivirals are recommended for those over the age 50 or for anyone with a more …
Radiculopathy Radiculopathy refers to an injury at a nerve root that can cause pain, weakness, or numbness along the entire course of the nerve. This is often due to compression of the nerve root as it exits the neural foramen of the spine. This may be secondary to degenerative disc disease, herniated disc, osteoarthritis, calcification …
What is a plexopathy? Plexopathy refers to a disorder of a network of nerves causing pain, weakness, and sensory deficits. This may be due to trauma to an area (such as with an avulsion injury), mass effect (such as from metastatic cancer), or entrapment (such as with the brachial plexus in thoracic outlet syndrome). Plexopathies …
What is a neuroma? Neuroma represents abnormal growth of neural tissue that can be from nerves, the myelin sheath, or other nervous structure. The growth usually is localized and benign; less commonly it is malignant. Neuromas may form at the end of a cut nerve, along the course of a regenerated nerve or as result …
How is trauma to nerves classified? Laceration, stretch, compression, or drug toxicity can all cause trauma to a nerve. Seddon’s classification grades the severity of a nerve injury. Neurapraxia (class I) describes temporary interruption of conduction spontaneously recovering in days to weeks, whereas axonotmesis (class II) involves the loss of continuity of an axon and …
Does surgery lead to persistent neuropathic pain True. Surgery causes either direct nerve injury through severing during surgery or stretch during retraction. In some patients scar tissue formation may also cause nerve compression. Inguinal hernia repair may lead to persistent groin pain due to inguinal and/or iliohypogastric neuralgia and/or genitofemoral neuralgia. Spine surgery may lead …
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