Background & Aims

Background: The sphenopalatine ganglion plays a role in facial pain and headaches and is a target for pain modulation.
Aim: The aim was to investigate the effectiveness of botulinum toxin-A injection, guided by fluoroscopy through the sphenopalatine ganglion, in reducing pain.

Methods

Method: This was a single-center pre-post test design study. We enrolled 14 volunteers diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia who could not tolerate the side effects of medication or did not benefit from it. We injected 40 units of botulinum toxin-A through the sphenopalatine ganglion under fluoroscopy guidance. The primary outcome was a reduction in pain intensity (using the Numerical Rating Scale) and frequency. The secondary outcome was complications related to the procedure.

Results

Results: The average pain scores and frequency of pain decreased significantly (p-value <0.001). Complications directly associated with the procedure included hemifacial palsy, observed in 76.9% of the volunteers, and diplopia (double vision), which occurred in 7.7% of the volunteers and resolved within 3 months.

Conclusions

Conclusion: Botulinum toxin type A injections into the sphenopalatine ganglion in patients with trigeminal neuralgia who cannot tolerate the side effects of medication and/or do not benefit from it can significantly reduce pain intensity and frequency.

References

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Presenting Author

Marvin Thepsoparn

Poster Authors

marvin thepsoparn

MD

Dept Anesthesiology, Chulalongkorn University & King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thailand

Lead Author

E-mail

Topics

  • Specific Pain Conditions/Pain in Specific Populations: Headache