J Korean Pain Soc.  2003 Jun;16(1):84-87.

The Effect of Percutaneous Glossopharyngeal Nerve Block for Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia: A case report

• Jeong SU
• Lee SH
• Jeon YH
• Hong JG

Abstract

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is a rare disease that is characterized by a severe shock-like pain in the posterior pharynx, tonsillar fossa and base of the tongue, which is triggered by swallowing, yawning, clearing the throat or talking. The initial treatment of glossopharyngeal neuralgia is medical therapy, but medical management fails to satisfactorily control the pain in many cases. Drug therapy was used in two of our cases, but was ineffective. The patients received a percutaneous glossopharyngeal nerve block, which reduced the frequency and severity of pain. No complications were observed, such as hypertension, tachycardia or vocal cord paralysis. Treatment with a percutaneous glossopharyngeal nerve block is a safe and effective form of therapy for glossopharyngeal neuralgic crisis.

Keyword

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia; Percutaneous glossopharyngeal nerve block

MeSH Terms

Deglutition
Drug Therapy
Glossopharyngeal Nerve Diseases*
Glossopharyngeal Nerve*
Humans
Hypertension
Pharynx
Rare Diseases
Tachycardia
Tongue
Vocal Cord Paralysis
Yawning