Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment for painful sensory neuropathy associated with Sjögren's syndrome

BackgroundPatients with painful sensory neuropathy associated with Sjögren's syndrome-associated neuropathy often show severe neuropathic pain which is not relieved by conventional treatments.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy in the treatment of neuropathic pain associated with Sjögren's syndrome.Patients and methodsWe examined 5 patients affected by painful sensory neuropathy associated with Sjögren's syndrome. All patients were treated with IVIg (0.4 g/kg/day for 5 days) and pain rating was assessed by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).ResultsAll five patients showed a remarkable improvement in neuropathic pain following IVIg therapy. Pain, assessed by the determination of mean VAS score, was reduced by 73.4% from days 2–14 following treatment. The observed clinical improvement persisted for 2 to 6 months. One patient, examined by quantitative sensory testing (QST), showed an improvement of superficial sensory deficit accompanied by pain relief.ConclusionIVIg might be an effective treatment for pain in Sjögren's syndrome-associated neuropathy. Further studies should be done in a controlled, blind study.