Abstract
We analyzed results of treatment for severe trigeminal herpes zoster pain. Nine patients received mandibular nerve block with local anesthetic and steroid at the exit of oval foramen (group B) and 9 did not receive mandibular nerve block (group C).
Mandibular nerve block was performed with 1% lidocaine and dexamethazone 2 mg. There were statistically no significant differences of age, sex, duration of symptoms before treatment, and pain intensity before and at the end of treatment between the groups. The median duration of treatment, by which the pain intensity became 20 on a visual analog scale, was significantly shorter in group B than in group C (14 days vs. 88 days, respectively; P=0.008). Group B needed significantly less nerve blocks than group C (8 vs. 23; P=0.017). Duration of whole treatment was significantly less in group B than in group C (66 days vs. 365 days; P=0.015). We conclude that mandibular nerve block with a local anesthetic and steroid at the exit of oval foramen is effective in the treatment of severe herpes zoster pain involving the trigeminal regions.
