J Korean Pain Soc.  1998 May;11(1):119-123.

Mandibular Nerve Block Improves Nutritional Status and Liver Function in the Patient of Trigeminal Neuralgia

• Cha YD
• Kim CS

Abstract

It is well known that many patients with trigeminal neuralgia suffer from electric shock-like stabbing pains. The pain can be triggered by nonnoxious stimuli such as touching of the face, chewing, talking or swallowing. This 62 year old woman was urgently admitted to the internal medicine department due to abdominal distention and severe general weakness. She has suffered characteristic violent pain triggered by chewing and swallowing for little over 4 years. This resulted in poor oral feeding for prolonged period which left her severely debilitated. The large amount of ascites that developed 20 days before admission and extreme emaciation forced her to bed rest. She also suffered from Herpes Zoster. After medical treatment to improve liver function and severe pain was persisted, the patient was referred to our department for control of pain. We performed right mandibular block with 1% dibucaine 0.4 ml and the effect was excellent. After the pain had subsided, patient was able to take meals more comfortably and improved liver function returned.

Keyword

Analgesia, mandibular nerve block; Pain, trigeminal neuralgia

MeSH Terms

Ascites
Bed Rest
Deglutition
Dibucaine
Emaciation
Female
Herpes Zoster
Humans
Internal Medicine
Liver*
Mandibular Nerve*
Mastication
Meals
Middle Aged
Nutritional Status*
Trigeminal Neuralgia*
Dibucaine