Potential for increased prevalence of neuropathic pain after the COVID-19 pandemic

Nadine Attal, Valéria Martinez, Didier Bouhassira, Nadine Attal, Valéria Martinez, Didier Bouhassira

Abstract

Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) most commonly manifests with acute respiratory symptoms, one very common symptom of COVID-19 is pain. As COVID-19 often causes peripheral or central neurological complications, it is anticipated that a number of the chronic pain complications of COVID-19 will be neuropathic. This review first examines the most common viral infections responsible for neurological complications including neuropathic pain. These encompass herpes zoster, HIV, poliovirus, enteroviruses, and several tropical viruses. Neurological complications of COVID-19 including in particular Guillain-Barré syndrome, myelitis, and stroke are reviewed with regards to their potential risk of chronic neuropathic pain. Prospective longitudinal cohorts of patients should be implemented to evaluate the exact risk of neuropathic pain after COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; Narrative review; Neurological complications; Neuropathic pain; SARS-CoV-2.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest related to the publication.Sponsorships or competing interests that may be relevant to content are disclosed at the end of this article.

Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The International Association for the Study of Pain.

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