[A case of RSD with complete disappearance of symptoms following intravenous ketamine infusion combined with stellate ganglion block and continuous epidural block]

Department of Anesthesiology and Resuscitology, Kochi Medical School, Nankoku.

A 74 year-old woman with a 6-month history of RSD following herpes zoster on her right arm was treated with stellate ganglion blocks (SGB), continuous epidural block (CEB) and continuous intravenous infusion of ketamine known as one of the NMDA receptor blockers. Of the symptoms of RSD, burning pain and hyperperspiration but allodynia disappeared after the treatment with SGB 8 times and CEB for 4 days. Allodynia disappeared completely after ketamine treatment, where ketamine was infused once using a subanesthetic dose for 2 hours. It is considered that ketamine is one of the useful drugs for the treatment of neuropathic pain with allodynia.

PMID: 8583666 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]