Abstract
Phantom limb pain is a frequent consequence of the amputation; currently available treatments are far from satisfactory. The present report describes a case in which transcatheter arterial microembolization had a remarkable curative effect on phantom limb pain persisting for 17 years. The patient began feeling phantom limb sensations and brief intermittent pain following lower limb amputation above the knee in 2001. The frequency, intensity, and duration of the pain increased over time, and it was resistant to conservative treatments. Following transcatheter arterial microembolization in 2018, patient immediately experienced marked improvement. The pain has been infrequent, much less intense, and did not interfere with daily life 6 months posttreatment. Transcatheter arterial microembolization could be an alternative treatment option for phantom limb pain.
Level of Evidence
IV, Case Report
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Nikolajsen L, Christensen KF, Haroutiunian S. Phantom limb pain: treatment strategies. Pain Manag. 2013;3(6):421–4.
Alviar MJ, Hale T, Dungca M. Pharmacologic interventions for treating phantom limb pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;10:CD006380.
Mapp PI, Walsh DA. Mechanisms and targets of angiogenesis and nerve growth in osteoarthritis. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2012;8(7):390–8.
Walsh DA, Bonnet CS, Turner EL, Wilson D, Situ M, McWilliams DF. Angiogenesis in the synovium and at the osteochondral junction in osteoarthritis. Osteoarthr Cartil. 2007;15:743–51.
Alfredson H, Ohberg L, Forsgren S. Is vasculo-neural ingrowth the cause of pain in chronic Achilles tendinosis? An investigation using ultrasonography and colour Doppler, immunohistochemistry, and diagnostic injections. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2003;11:334–8.
Okuno Y, Iwamoto W, Matsumura N, Oguro S, Yasumoto T, Kaneko T, Ikegami H. Clinical outcomes of transcatheter arterial embolization for adhesive capsulitis resistant to conservative treatment. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2017;28(2):161–7.
Okuno Y, Korchi AM, Shinjo T, Kato S, Kaneko T. Midterm clinical outcomes and MR imaging changes after transcatheter arterial embolization as a treatment for mild to moderate radiographic knee osteoarthritis resistant to conservative treatment. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2017;28(7):995–1002.
Iwamoto W, Okuno Y, Matsumura N, Kaneko T, Ikegami H. Transcatheter arterial embolization of abnormal vessels as a treatment for lateral epicondylitis refractory to conservative treatment: a pilot study with a 2-year follow-up. J Shoulder Elb Surg. 2017;26(8):1335–41.
Okuno Y, Matsumura N, Oguro S. Transcatheter arterial embolization using imipenem/cilastatin sodium for tendinopathy and enthesopathy refractory to nonsurgical management. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2013;24:787–92.
Sumitani M, Miyauchi S, McCabe CS, Shibata M, Maeda L, Saitoh Y, Tashiro T, Mashimo T. Mirror visual feedback alleviates deafferentation pain, depending on qualitative aspects of the pain: a preliminary report. Rheumatology. 2008;47(7):1038–43.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Shibuya, M., Yamamoto, M. & Okuno, Y. Effect of Transcatheter Arterial Microembolization on Phantom Limb Pain Persisting for 17 Years. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol 42, 471–474 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00270-018-2109-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00270-018-2109-7