Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is characterized by continuous pain that is often accompanied by sensory, motor, vasomotor, sudomotor, and trophic disturbances. If left untreated, it can have a significant impact on the quality of life of patients. The diagnosis of CRPS is currently based on a set of relatively subjective clinical criteria: the New International Association for the Study of Pain clinical diagnostic criteria for CRPS. There are still no objective laboratory tests to diagnose CRPS and there is a great need for simple, objective, and easily measurable biomarkers in the diagnosis and management of this disease. In this review, we discuss the role of inflammation in the multi-mechanism pathophysiology of CRPS and highlight the application of potential biomarkers of inflammation in the diagnosis and management of this disease.

doi.org/10.1007/s40291-019-00417-x, hdl.handle.net/1765/118541
Molecular Diagnosis and Therapy
Department of Anesthesiology

Bharwani, K., Dik, W., Dirckx, M., & Huygen, F. (2019). Highlighting the Role of Biomarkers of Inflammation in the Diagnosis and Management of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Molecular Diagnosis and Therapy. doi:10.1007/s40291-019-00417-x