Titre du document / Document title

Neurostimolazione elettrica subcutanea del nervo periferico utilizzata nel controllo della nevralgia occipitale refrattaria = Percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation of peripheral nerve for the intractable occipital neuralgia

Auteur(s) / Author(s)

SHALADI Ali ; CRESTANI Francesco ; SALTARI Rita ; PIVA Bruno ;

Résumé / Abstract

Occipital neuralgia is characterized by pain paroxisms occurring within distribution of the greater or lesser occipital nerves. The pain may radiates from the rear head toward the ipsolateral frontal or rectro-orbital regions of head. Though known causes include head injuries, direct occipital nerve trauma, neuroma formation or upper cervical root compression, most people have no demonstrable lesion. Method and materials. A sample of 8 patients (5 females, 3 males) aging 63,5 years on the average with occipital neuralgia has been recruited. The occipital neuralgic pain had presented since 4, 6 years and they had been treated by pharmacological therapy without benefit. Some result has been obtained by blocking of the grand occipital nerve so that the patients seemed to be suitable for subcutaneous perypherical neurostimulation. The pain was evaluated by VAS and SVR scales before treatment (TO) and after three and twelve months (T1, T2). Results. During the follow up period 7 patients have been monitored for a whole year while one patient was followed only for 3 months in that some complications have presented. In the other 7 patients pain paroxysms have interrupted and trigger point disappeared with a VAS and SVR reduction of about 71% and 60%, respectively. Conclusions. Our experience demonstrates a sound efficacy of such a technique for patients having occipital neuralgia resistant to pharmacological therapies even if action mechanisms have not yet clearly explained. Some hypothesis exist and we think it might negatively affect the neurogenic inflammation that surely acts in pain maintaining.

Revue / Journal Title

Recenti progressi in medicina    ISSN  0034-1193 

Source / Source

2008, vol. 99, n^o6, pp. 295-301 [7 page(s) (article)]

Langue / Language

Italien

Editeur / Publisher

Pensiero scientifico, Roma, ITALIE  (1946) (Revue)

Mots-clés d'auteur / Author Keywords

Neurogenic inflammation

;

occipital neuralgia

;

percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

;

Localisation / Location

INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST : 15677, 35400019772582.0020