Mpox Pain Management with Topical Agents: A Case Series

Abstract

With the recent spread in monkeypox cases, continuous efforts are made to manage the disease efficiently. Pain at the site of monkeypox lesions and in areas of skin breakdown can be severe. The origin of pain is likely neuropathic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued general guidelines to control pain with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen, gabapentin, and topical agents such as corticosteroids and lidocaine. Guidelines circulated by the World Health Organization (WHO) suggest acetaminophen, tramadol, opioids, and/or topical lidocaine for symptomatic pain management. No first line agent with proven beneficial effect has been recommended in these patients. We present two patients’ painful experiences with Monkeypox and suggest lessons learned.

Keywords:

• Mpox
• monkeypox
• pain
• topical analgesia
• palliative care

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

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Funding

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