Background and Importance The International Association for the Study of Pain defines neuropathic pain as pain caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system, central or peripheral.

Capsaicin 8% cutaneous patch is indicated for the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain (PNP) in adults either alone or in combination with other medicinal products for the treatment of pain.

Aim and Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and tolerability of capsaicin patch in PNP in a usual clinical practice at a third-level hospital.

Material and Methods Retrospective observational study conducted between January 2019 and December 2022 of patients with PNP who underwent treatment in the hospital. All of them signed informed consent. Data were collected from clinical history and pharmacy program.

Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated through pain intensity, using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), at baseline and a week after treatment. Patients were considered as responders to therapy if VAS decreases ≥ 3.

Patients were included in one of the following groups according to the localisation pain: Back, Hip, Knee, Feet, Upper limbs (hands, arms).

Endpoints included demographic and clinical characteristics (age, sex), therapeutic outcomes (change in basal pain intensity), adverse events (AEs), site reactions.

Results 686 patients were included in the study (65% women, median age 60.5 years). Localisation area application were: Knee (21.6%), Back (8.5%), Hip (6.6%) Upper limbs/feet (19.7%).

The median VAS baseline score (6,9) decreased a week after treatment (5.7).

A median percentage of patients (42.4%, n=291) improved VAS scale and 42% (n=122) of them were considered responders to treatment (decrease baseline VAS ≥ 3).

Adverse events (mild to moderate in intensity) were: erythema (13,1%), burning sensation (29,8%) and pruritus (21.4%). No severe adverse events were observed.

Conclusion and Relevance Capsaicin patch use in peripheral neuropathic pain seems to be effective, decreasing pain intensity in treated conditions.

Treatment was generally well tolerated adverse events were transient and self-limiting.

More studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness and safety of capsaicin 8% cutaneous patch.

Conflict of Interest No conflict of interest.