Spinal Cord Stimulation for Visceral Pain Associated with Medullary Sponge Kidney

Abstract

Chronic pain is a common reason for which people in the USA seek medical care. It is linked to opioid consumption, anxiety and a reduction in quality of life. Over the past 50 years, spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has evolved as a safe and efficacious treatment for chronic pain etiologies. The authors present the first known case of SCS for pain due to medullary sponge kidney disease. This report adds to the growing body of literature supporting the use of SCS for treating visceral organ pain, while also highlighting the utility of ventral lead placement for treating visceral pain. As SCS utilization increases, it is expected that there will be a decrease in opioid consumption, and this will help us contain the opioid epidemic.

Plain language summary

Chronic pain is one of the most common reasons that people in the USA seek medical care. It is associated with an increased reliance on opioids, anxiety, depression and a lower quality of life. Over the past 50 years, a treatment modality known as spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has emerged and evolved. Based on evidence, SCS has shown promising results in treating chronic pain related to different causes and has also led to an improvement in the quality of life in those suffering from pain. In this case report, the authors present a case of a patient with chronic pain due to recurrent kidney stones secondary to their hereditary kidney disease, and who responded well to treatment with SCS. The patient self-reported almost 80% pain relief after undergoing treatment with SCS as well as an improved quality of life, based on their ability to engage in their daily professional and leisurely activities without being so restricted by pain from their recurrent kidney stones. This case report adds to the growing body of literature that underscores the utility of SCS in treating a variety of pain mediated pathologies. As SCS continues to show promising results, we hope that SCS usage to target pain will increase, and this will lead to a decrease in opioid prescriptions and help curb the opioid epidemic.

Tweetable abstract

Novel lead placement using spinal cord stimulation demonstrated successful treatment of visceral organ pain #SpinalCordStimulation #Neuromodulation

Keywords:

• abdominal pain
• chronic pain
• medullary sponge kidney
• neuromodulation
• neuropathic pain
• spinal cord stimulation
• ventral lead placement
• visceral pain

Financial disclosure

The authors have no financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Competing interests disclsoure

The authors have no competing interests or relevant affiliations with any organization or entity with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, stock ownership or options and expert testimony.

Writing disclosure

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. The authors state that they have obtained verbal and written informed consent from the patient for the inclusion of their medical and treatment history within this case report.