Treatment of Refractory Ischemic Pain from Chemotherapy-Induced Raynaud's Syndrome With Spinal Cord Stimulation

Abstract:   We report the successful treatment of refractory ischemic pain from cisplatin-induced Raynaud's syndrome with spinal cord stimulation after failed pharmacologic management and surgical sympathectomy.
Case Report: A 48-year-old man developed ischemic pain of the hands while undergoing cisplatin and gemcitabine chemotherapy for metastatic pancreatic carcinoma. After extensive pharmacologic management and surgical sympathectomy failed to provide adequate analgesia, the patient underwent a percutaneous spinal cord stimulation trial followed by permanent implantation and received significant pain relief prior to succumbing to his illness. Spinal cord stimulation provided effective therapy for refractory ischemic pain, even after failed sympathectomy.