Abstract
We report a case of right cervical (C2-C4 area) acute herpetic pain successfully treated by therapeutic selective nerve blocks. A47-year-old man complained of right cervical persistent pain and frequent intermittent pain associated with herpes zoster. This pain was resistant to standard therapies such as satellite ganglion block and epidural block. On the 10th day after onset, the patient was treated by X-ray-guided therapeutic C3 and C4 selective nerve root blocks, resulting in an almost immediate relief of pain. The patient remained pain-free, and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) was prevented. Although there are various treatments for PHN, none produces definitive effects. Relief of acute herpetic pain and prevention of PHN are important in the treatment of herpes zoster.
