Table 1.
Summary of the Included Studies
| # | First Author, Years | Study Design | Number of Patients (E/C) | Treatment Compared with IVIG | IVIG Protocol | Pain Measurement Methods | Outcome Measurement Time, Months | Summary of Outcome | Diagnostic Methods |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complex regional pain syndrome | |||||||||
| 1 | Goebel, 201015 | Randomized crossover study | 13 | – | 0.25 g/kg/day * 2 days | Average 24 hour pain intensity score on an 11-point NRS (0–10) | 6 to 19 days after each infusion session | Decline in VAS score of 1.6 after IVIG treatment was more than placebo. | Diagnosis of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome I or II according to Budapest research criteria. |
| 2 | Goebel, 201716 | RCT | 111 (55/56) | - | Total 0.5/kg | NRS pain value | 6–42 days after the treatment | No significant effect | Diagnosis of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome I or II according to Budapest research criteria. |
| Diabetic polyneuropathy | |||||||||
| 3 | Jann, 202017 | RCT | 23 (11/12) | Placebo | 0.4 g/kg/day for 5 days | VAS, NPSI | 4 weeks after the treatment | ≥50% pain reduction: 63.6% (IVIG) vs 0% (placebo) | Diagnosis confirmed as per the Toronto Diabetic Neuropathy Expert Group criteria17 |
| Various neurological disorders | |||||||||
| 4 | Goebel, 200210 | Single-arm prospective study | 130 | - | Total 9–18 g over 1 week | Average 24 hour pain intensity score on an 11-point NRS (0–10) | Within 2 years after the treatment | 24.1% showed >70% of initial pain | Patients were diagnosed according to IASP (International Association for the Study of Pain) guidelines10 |
Abbreviations: E, experimental group; C, comparison group; IVIG, intravenous immunoglobulin; RCT, randomized controlled trial; VAS, visual analogue scale.