Abstract
Patients:A 67 - year - old woman presented with a few day of debilitating and hypoesthesia in left upper gingival and allodynia forehead region with a vesicular rash. Her pain had failed to improve with: oral loxoprofen carbamazepine, gabapentin, amitriptyline and neurotropin. Six months post onset, a left C6 stellate ganglion block (SGB) was performed. Prior to the injection, her visual analogue pain intensity score was rated as 50 - 70 / 100. Though it was reduced to 20 / 100 after the injection, it was lasted at longest 1 day.Since Gabapentin was replaced by pregabalin her pain had maintained an intensity of 16 - 20 / 100 and over another 2 weeks had resolved. She remained pain-free 3 months later.
Discussion:It is important For the treatment of neuropathic pain to diagnose appropriately. In this case,the use of a pregabalin provided dramatic results in the treatment of debilitating postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).
Conclusions:Further investigation is needed to determine the efficacy of pregabalin in the management of PHN in orofacial region.
