Treatment of painful radiculopathies with capsaicin 8% cutaneous patch

AbstractBackground and objective: The treatment of neuropathic pain due to low-back (lumbosacral) radiculopathies, a common source of neuropathic pain, is challenging and often requires a multimodal therapeutic approach. The capsaicin 8% patch is the first topical analgesic licensed for peripheral neuropathic pain. To evaluate this treatment, a subset of patients with painful radiculopathy (lumbar and cervical, including ventral and dorsal rami) enrolled into the multicenter, non-interventional QUEPP study (Qutenza2 – safety and effectiveness in peripheral neuropathic pain) was analyzed.Methods: Of the 1044 study participants, 50 were diagnosed with painful radiculopathy as only peripheral neuropathic pain syndrome and were eligible for evaluation. Patients received a single treatment (visit 1) with follow-up visits 2–5 at weeks 1–2, 4, 8 and 12. Parameters assessed at all visits included pain intensity, neuropathy symptoms and side effects. Quality of life (SF-12) and painDETECT1 questionnaires were comp...