Extensive skin necrosis of the arm in a patient with complex regional pain syndrome

Clin Exp Dermatol. 2008 Nov;33(6):733-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2230.2008.02848.x. Epub 2008 Aug 2.

Abstract

We report a 36-year-old woman with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type 1 presenting with extensive skin necrosis of the left arm. The patient cooled her arm with ice packs to ease severe pain due to CRPS, in spite of repeated cautions against frostbite injury. The regions of skin necrosis corresponded with the sites where she had applied ice packs. We considered that the severe skin necrosis in our case was due to a self-induced frostbite injury.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Arm
  • Complex Regional Pain Syndromes / pathology*
  • Complex Regional Pain Syndromes / therapy
  • Female
  • Frostbite / complications*
  • Frostbite / pathology
  • Humans
  • Necrosis
  • Skin / pathology*