[Deafferentation pain following surgical intervention].

The authors describe five patients who presented with deafferentation pain after surgery. The physiopathology, general semeiological and therapeutic features are reviewed. The pain that occurs after nerve or spinal cord injury is due to chronic deafferentation characterized by a syndrome of ongoing pain and abnormal sensitivity. Surgical procedures for pain relief can be divided into two great categories: destructive procedures and neuro-stimulation. The first one which entails the surgical interruption of pain pathways is used in cancer. Peripheral or central stimulation are effective for many pain syndromes, principally the deafferentation pain.