[Intravenous application of calcitonin following unsuccessful thermocoagulation of the dorsal root entry zone].

Following a traumatic lesion of the brachial plexus, severe pain syndrome in the left shoulder and arm developed in a 42-year-old patient. The pain could not be relieved by multiple therapeutic attempts. Therefore, electrocoagulation of the substantia gelatinosa was performed on the affected side of the evulsed plexus from the dorsal aspect of the cervical spinal cord (Dorsal-Root-Entry-Zone-Lesion, DREZ-operation). After temporary relief, the initial pain syndrome returned. Intravenous salmon-calcitonin infusions administered at our pain clinic led to almost complete remission of pain. Six months later the original symptoms returned and therefore the same infusion scheme was repeated with identical results.