Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35983980›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of pain (London, England)2022

Glucocorticoid treatment in patients with complex regional pain syndrome: A systematic review.

Corinne van den Berg, Pim N de Bree, Frank J P M Huygen, Jitske Tiemensma

Open access · bronzeAbstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of pain (London, England), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
22citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
7.6field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

22 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 34 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Guideline
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  10. 10. Complex regional pain syndrome.Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain · 2025
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Corinne van den BergDepartment of Anesthesiology, Centre for Pain Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-0017-7204
Pim N de BreeDepartment of Anesthesiology, Centre for Pain Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Frank J P M HuygenDepartment of Anesthesiology, Centre for Pain Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-2852-4880
Jitske TiemensmaDepartment of Anesthesiology, Centre for Pain Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-4420-8711
Erasmus MC · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectiveThe pathophysiology of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is multifactorial, with an exaggerated inflammatory response being the most prominent. Treatment for CRPS is carried out according to the presenting pathophysiological mechanism. Anti-inflammatory treatment with glucocorticoids is therefore an option. The aim of this study was to systematically review the efficacy of glucocorticoids in CRPS. DATABASES AND DATA TREATMENT: Embase, Medline, Web of Science and Google Scholar were systematically searched for articles focusing on glucocorticoid treatment and CRPS. Screening based on title and abstract was followed by full-text reading (including reference lists) to determine the final set of relevant articles. Bias was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias-tool for randomized trials (Rob2).

resultsForty-one studies were included, which reported on 1208 CRPS patients. A wide variety of glucocorticoid administration strategies were applied, with oral being the most frequently chosen. Additionally, researchers found great heterogeneity in outcome parameters, including clinical symptoms, pain relief and range of motion. The use of glucocorticoids caused an improvement of parameters in all but two studies. In particular, improvement in pain relief and range of motion were reported. Using glucocorticoids in CRPS of longer duration (i.e. more than 3 months) appears to be less effective.

conclusionBased on the present review, there is evidence to support glucocorticoid treatment in CRPS. However, the ideal administration route and dose remain unclear. We therefore recommend future research via an intervention study, as well as studies on the aetiological mechanisms and corresponding optimal treatment because CRPS pathogenesis is only partially understood. SIGNIFICANCE: Several studies point towards CRPS being an inflammatory response after tissue or nerve damage, with higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in serum, plasma, cerebrospinal fluid and artificial skin blisters. Inflammation provides a possible role for glucocorticoids in treating CRPS. This systematic review provides a structured overview of glucocorticoid treatment in patients with CRPS. Improvement in pain and range of motion is shown. Systematic review registration number: PROSPERO-CRD42020144671.

Indexed as

Complex Regional Pain SyndromesGlucocorticoidsAnti-Inflammatory AgentsCytokinesHumansPainAnti-Inflammatory AgentsCytokinesGlucocorticoids

Identifiers

PMID35983980
PMCPMC9826269
OpenAlexW4292373449

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.