An updated classification of neuropathic pain was established by the pain specialists of  International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) for the upcoming International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11), as published in a recent issue of 'PAIN'.

The ICD of the World Health Organization (WHO) provides a unique opportunity to upgrade the painful disorders. IASP had assembled an interdisciplinary task force of pain specialists to edit and amend definitions related to neuropathic diseases and associated chronic pain conditions. The revised classification of neuropathic pain based on peripheral and central origin was included in consensus statement.

The new classification of peripheral neuropathic pain conditions includes trigeminal neuralgia, painful radiculopathy, painful polyneuropathy, peripheral nerve injury, and postherpetic neuralgia. The classification of conditions of central neuropathic pain include  poststroke pain, pain caused by spinal cord or brain injury, and pain associated with multiple sclerosis.

The diseases not clearly explained in the classification are expressed in the residual categories of ICD-11. Short definitions of diagnostic entities were provided by the specialists for which they presented more detailed content models to the WHO.  "An exact classification of chronic neuropathic pain in ICD-11 is crucial to document this public health need and the therapeutic challenges concerning chronic neuropathic pain", as stated by Joachim Scholz and the specialists.