The following is a summary of “Long-Term Follow-Up of Ultrasound-Guided Glossopharyngeal Nerve Block Treatment for Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia: A Retrospective Clinical Study of 43 Cases,” published in the March 2024 issue of Pain by You et al.
Long-term effectiveness of ultrasound-guided glossopharyngeal nerve blocks (UGPNB) for treating glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GPN).
Researchers started a retrospective study to assess the effectiveness and safety of UGPNB as a treatment for GPN.
They reviewed electronic medical records for patients with GPN who underwent UGPNB at the Department of Pain Medicine, First Medical Center, PLA General Hospital (June 1, 2011, to June 1, 2022). The effectiveness of UGPNB was assessed using the Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) scale. Improvement was measured by comparing pre-and post-therapy pain. Recovery was achieved by achieving BNI I after treatment. Pain relapse was reverting to pre-therapy pain after the initial response.
The results showed that of 43 patients with GPN who underwent UGPNB, 35 (81.4%) patients experienced pain improvement at discharge, with 13 (30.2%) achieving recovery. Following discharge, 13 patients (37.1%) among the effective ones experienced pain relapse at varying intervals: 0.5, 0.7, 1, 3, 4, 12, 15, 36, 45, 63, and 96 months. The cumulative recurrence-free survival rates were 88.85% at month 1, 82.83% at month 3, 77.04% at month 12, 70.31% at month 36, and 54.66% at month 120. Among the 13 patients who experienced relapse, four received a second UGPNB treatment, resulting in pain improvement for two patients (50%). No severe adverse reactions were noted.
Investigators concluded that UGPNB was a safe, effective, minimally invasive option for GPN, potentially preferable to invasive methods.
