Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Following Snakebite: A Putatively Rare Complication of Envenomation and Review of the Literature

Figures & data

Figure 1 Two puncture wounds (arrows) on the anterior aspect of the left forearm.

Figure 2 Cat-eyed snake with large eyes and dark brown blotches throughout the length of the snake’s body, characteristic of species of Leptodeira.

Figure 3 Photograph of the hands two years after snakebite. The skin on the left is glossy with mild disuse atrophy of the thumb. Flexion postures of the fingers are evident but they are not contracted.

Table 1 Summary of Published Reports of CRPS Induced by Snake Bite, Listed Chronologically

Authors Country/Date	Patient Age/Gender	Identity of Snake/ Site of Bite	Type of CRPS
Bhattarai et al^Citation6 Nepal/2008	55/F	Mountain Pit Viper (Oviphus monticola)/ left hand	1
Ergan et al^Citation7 Turkey/2012	66/M	Unidentified type/ left hand	Possibly 2
Seo et al^Citation8 Korea/2014	44/F	Chinese Viper (Agkistrodon ussuriensis)/ right ankle	1
Kleggetveit et al^Citation9 Norway/2015	22/F	European Viper (Vipera berus)/ right arm	1
Lazaro (present case United States/2020)	44/M	Cat-eyed Snake (Leptodeira of undetermined species)/ left forearm	1

Bhattarai B, Shrestha BP, Rahman TR, Sharma SK, Tripathi M. Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type-1 following snake bite: a case report. Nepal Med Coll J. 2008;10(4):278–280.

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Ergan SA, Yoleri O, Yavasi S, Olmez N, Memis A. Complex regional pain syndrome caused by snake bite: a case report. Turk J Phys Med Rehabil. 2012;58(1):69–71. doi:10.4274/tftr.83723

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Seo YH, Park MR, Yoo SH. Development of complex regional pain syndrome after a snake bite: a case report. Korean J Pain. 2014;27(1):68–71. doi:10.3344/kjp.2014.27.1.68

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Kleggetveit IP, Skulberg PK, Jørum E. Complex regional pain syndrome following viper-bite. Scand J Pain. 2016;10(1):15–18. doi:10.1016/j.sjpain.2015.07.005.

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