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BackgroundIn male patients suffering from chronic pain, opioid administration induces severe hypogonadism, leading to impaired physical and psychological conditions such as fatigue, anaemia and depression. Hormone replacement therapy is rarely considered for these hypogonadic patients, notwithstanding the various pharmacological solutions available.MethodsTo treat hypogonadism and to evaluate the consequent endocrine, physical and psychological changes in male chronic pain patients treated with morphine (epidural route), we tested the administration of testosterone via a gel formulation for one year. Hormonal (total testosterone, estradiol, free testosterone, DHT, cortisol), pain (VAS and other pain questionnaires), andrological (Ageing Males' Symptoms Scale - AMS) and psychological (POMS, CES-D and SF-36) parameters were evaluated at baseline (T0) and after 3, 6 and 12 months (T3, T6, T12 respectively).ResultsThe daily administration of testosterone increased total and free testosterone and DHT at T3, and the levels remained high until T12. Pain rating indexes (QUID) progressively improved from T3 to T12 while the other pain parameters (VAS, Area%) remained unchanged. The AMS sexual dimension and SF-36 Mental Index displayed a significant improvement over time.ConclusionsIn conclusion, our results suggest that a constant, long-term supply of testosterone can induce a general improvement of the male chronic pain patient's quality of life, an important clinical aspect of pain management.

Objectives: Despite the interest in scientific community, there is still poor evidence about pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) efficacy in the treatment of neuropathic pain. In order to determine whether high-voltage PRF and epidural adhesiolysis (PRF-EA) showed better results than epidural adhesiolysis alone (EA), a randomized, double-blind, comparative-effectiveness study was conducted in patients with chronic lumbosacral radiating pain and neuropathic features. Materials and Methods: A total of 41 patients were randomly allocated to 2 groups. Twenty-one patients were randomized to receive 2 cycles of 240 seconds high-voltage PRF followed by the injection of local anesthetics, hyaluronidase, and betamethasone, whereas 20 patients underwent sham stimulation followed by adhesiolysis. The treatment was delivered at the affected lumbosacral roots and patients, treating physicians and assessors were blinded to intervention. Results: A significant reduction of radiating pain was observed in mean Numeric Rating Scale score at follow-up. A change of −3.43 versus −1.75 (P=0.031) after 1 month and −3.34 versus −0.80 (P=0.005) after 6 months was reported in patients undergoing PRF-EA in comparison with EA, respectively. After 1 month, 57% of patients in the PRF-EA group experienced a pain reduction of ≥50% versus only 25% of patients allocated to EA (P=0.037). Improvement decreased to 48% in the PRF-EA group whereas only 10% of EA reported significant pain relief after 6 months (P=0.008). Discussion: High-voltage PRF of dorsal root ganglion delivered through multifunctional electrode provided significant pain relief and may be considered a valuable treatment in chronic lumbosacral radicular pain with neuropathic features.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effectiveness of epidural morphine and bupivacaine in patients with chronic lumbosacral radicular neuropathic pain after the cessation of treatment.MethodsTwenty-two patients with chronic lumbosacral pain with neuropathic features were enrolled. An indwelling catheter was placed into the epidural space, and each patient received an epidural injection of morphine chlorhydrate and bupivacaine up to three times a day. The medication was administered for 4 weeks. The pain intensity score on a 0–10 numeric rating scale (NRS), the total pain rating index rank (PRIr-T), and its coefficients were evaluated before treatment and 1 month after catheter removal. P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsNRS and PRIr-T were significantly reduced at follow-up (P=0.001 and P=0.03, respectively), whereas the parallel evolution of the two scores (r=0.75 and P<0.001, respectively) confirmed significant pain relief lasting up to 1 month after treatment cessation. None of the four pain rating coefficients was significantly modified compared to the others in either responders or nonresponders. Successful clinical outcome (pain reduction >30% in NRS) was reached and maintained in half of the patients at follow-up.ConclusionCombined epidural morphine and bupivacaine seems to be effective in the treatment of neuropathic pain.

Introduction: Scientific data about neurophysiological changes subsequent to pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) are still lacking. The goal of this study was to evaluate sural nerve conduction and Hoffmann reflex (H-reflex) in soleus muscle following adhesiolysis and PRF in patients with unilateral chronic lumbosacral L5-S1 neuropathic radiating pain. Methods: Seventeen patients received two cycles of 240 seconds high-voltage PRF and epidural adhesiolysis. Sural nerve action potential (SNAP) and the ratio of maximum H-reflex to maximum M response (H/M ratio) as well as pain scores were collected in both lower limbs before, immediately following, and 1 month after the treatment. Results: At follow-up, a significant reduction in numeric rating scale (NRS) and Douleur Neuropathique 4 Questions (DN4) scores was observed in 53% of patients reporting pain improvement of ≥ 30% over baseline. The H/M ratio was decreased in the affected limb following PRF (P = 0.01) and 1 month after the treatment (P = 0.04). A direct correlation was observed between H/M ratio variation and NRS score at follow-up in the treated limb (P = 0.04). No significant difference in sural nerve latency, amplitude, and velocity was detected between affected and normal side after treatment and at follow-up. Conclusions: Epidural adhesiolysis and PRF of the dorsal root ganglion seem to significantly affect spinal reflexes in patients with lumbosacral neuropathic radiating pain. &