Pamidronate in complex regional pain syndrome: Effective therapy in CRPS

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a debilitating disorder of which the underlying pathogenesis is poorly understood. Often, after trivial trauma, patients develop severe signs of pain and autonomic dysfunction in the affected limb leading to substantial loss in quality of life. Women are more often affected than men. CRPS is mostly monophasic but some patients develop a relapsing remitting course.1 A small group of patients develop c hronic s ymptoms t hat c an b e s o s evere t hat ultimately amputation appears to be the sole solution. Two forms of CRPS can be distinguished: type I and type II. Different from CRPS type II, in type I no nerve damage can be demonstrated. [...]