scholarly journals Comparison of efficacy of continuous epidural block and pulsed radiofrequency to the dorsal root ganglion for management of pain persisting beyond the acute phase of herpes zoster

PLoS ONE ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. e0183559 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eung Don Kim ◽  
Young In Lee ◽  
Hue Jung Park
Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 99 (25) ◽  
pp. e20807
Author(s):  
Yong Fei ◽  
Jiajia Deng ◽  
Hui Lv ◽  
Ming Yao ◽  
Tingting Wang ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (20;3) ◽  
pp. E411-E418 ◽  
Author(s):  
EungDon Kim

Background: Latent varicella zoster virus reactivates mainly in sensory ganglia such as the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) or trigeminal ganglion. The DRG contains many receptor channels and is an important region for pain signal transduction. Sustained abnormal electrical activity to the spinal cord via the DRG in acute herpes zoster can result in neuropathic conditions such as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Although the efficacy of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) application to the DRG in various pain conditions has been previously reported, the application of PRF to the DRG in patients with herpes zoster has not yet been studied. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to compare the clinical effects of PRF to the DRG in patients with herpes zoster to those of PRF to the DRG in patients with PHN. Study Design: Retrospective comparative study. Setting: University hospital pain center in Korea. Methods: The medical records of 58 patients who underwent PRF to the DRG due to zoster related pain (herpes zoster or PHN) were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the timing of PRF after zoster onset: an early PRF group (within 90 days) and a PHN PRF group (more than 90 days). The efficacy of PRF was assessed by a numeric rating scale (NRS) and by recording patient medication doses before PRF and at one week, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks after PRF. Results: Pain intensity was decreased after PRF in all participants. However, the degree of pain reduction was significantly higher in the early PRF group. Moreover, more patients discontinued their medication in the early PRF group, and the PRF success rate was also higher in the early PRF group. Limitations: The relatively small sample size from a single center, short duration of review of medical records, and the retrospective nature of the study. Conclusions: PRF to the DRG is a useful treatment for treatment-resistant cases of herpes zoster and PHN. Particularly in herpes zoster patients with intractable pain, application of PRF to the DRG should be considered for pain control and prevention of PHN. Key words: Pulsed radiofrequency, dorsal root ganglion, herpes zoster, postherpetic neuralgia


2017 ◽  
pp. 223-229
Author(s):  
Young-Chang Arai

Background: The modified technique, pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) procedure, applied to nervous tissue has been providing anecdotal benefits for the management of chronic and intractable pain conditions. Although PRF has a neuromodulatory effect instead of thermally lesioning nervous tissue, the mechanism underlying the analgesic effect of PRF has not been fully clarified yet. Objectives: To see the changes of electricallyevoked responses of peripheral A-δ and A-β nerve fibers and the analgesic effect induced by PRF. Study Design: Case series. Setting: Inpatient. Methods: This study investigated how dorsal root ganglion (DRG) PRF influenced electricallyevoked responses of peripheral A-δ and A-β nerve fibers at the treated root ganglion dominating areas in five patients with intractable vertebral metastatic pain. Results: DRG PRF provided sound pain relief for patients with intractable vertebral metastatic pain. PRF application at DRGs had a different effect on electrically-evoked responses of peripheral A-δ and A-β nerve fibers at not only the treated root ganglion dominating areas but also the nontreated root ganglion dominating areas far from the treated root ganglion dominating areas in each patient. Limitation: This report is a case series. Conclusions: PRF application at some peripheral nerves could cause drastic neuromodulation throughout the whole body. Key words: Pulsed radiofrequency, dorsal root ganglion block, neuromodulation


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueru Xu ◽  
Shaoxiong Fu ◽  
Xiaomei Shi ◽  
Rongguo Liu

Background. Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) on the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) has been applied to alleviate neuropathic pain effectively, yet the mechanisms underlying pain reduction owing to this treatment are not clarified completely. The activated microglia, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK) in the spinal cord were demonstrated to be involved in developing neuropathic pain. Also, it has been just known that PRF on DRG inhibits the microglial activation in nerve injury rats. Here, we aim to investigate whether PRF treatment could regulate the levels of BDNF, PI3K, and p-ERK in the spinal cord of rats with spared nerve injury (SNI) via suppressing the spinal microglia activation to ease neuropathic pain. Methods. The rats with SNI were intrathecally treated with minocycline (specific microglia inhibitor) or same volume of dimethyl sulfoxide once daily, beginning from 1 h before nerve transection to 7 days. PRF was applied adjacent to the L4-L5 DRG of rats with SNI at 45 V for 6 min on the seventh postoperative day, whereas the free-PRF rats were treated without PRF. The withdrawal thresholds were studied, and the spinal levels of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1), BDNF, PI3K, and p-ERK were calculated by western blot analysis, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and immunofluorescence. Results. The paw withdrawal mechanical threshold and paw withdrawal thermal latency decreased in the ipsilateral hind paws after SNI, and the spinal levels of Iba1, BDNF, PI3K, and p-ERK increased on day 21 after SNI compared with baseline (P<0.01). An intrathecal injection of minocycline led to the reversal of SNI-induced allodynia and increase in levels of Iba1, BDNF, PI3K, and p-ERK. Withdrawal thresholds recovered partially after a single PRF treatment for 14 days, and SNI-induced microglia hyperactivity, BDNF upregulation, and PI3K and ERK phosphorylation in the spinal cord reduced on D14 due to the PRF procedure. Conclusion. Microglial BDNF, PI3K, and p-ERK in the spinal cord are suppressed by the therapy of PRF on DRG to ease SNI-induced neuropathic pain in rats.


2020 ◽  
pp. 204946372094253
Author(s):  
Sherry Nabil Fanous ◽  
Emad Gerges Saleh ◽  
Ekramy Mansour Abd Elghafar ◽  
Hossam Zarif Ghobrial

Background: Bone metastasis is a complication of various cancers causing severe pain. The current modalities for the treatment of metastatic axial pain include pharmacological, surgical and vertebral augmentation techniques, each of which has its own challenges. Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF), thermal radiofrequency (RF) and steroids on dorsal root ganglion (DRG) in patients with thoracic axial pain due to vertebral metastasis. Methods: In this randomized controlled prospective study, 140 patients were assessed for eligibility, of which only 69 fulfilled the criteria. Patients were randomly divided into three equal groups, PRF, RF and steroid. Results: During the assessment of pain using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Opioid consumption using oral Morphine Equivalence (OME) and Analgesic Quantification Algorithm (AQA) – at baseline, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months – 81 patients were assessed for final eligibility, of which 12 were excluded before intervention due to drop-out. The remaining 69 were randomized (mean age: 53.87 ± 10.55, 55.78 ± 7.34 and 59.39 ± 13.72) for PRF, RF and steroid, respectively with no statistical difference. VAS% and ODI% decreased significantly at 3 months in RF group ( p <0.001, 0.014, respectively), as did the AQA ( p <0.027). Steroid group was the worst. Discussion: RF on DRG is the main stay for controlling intractable metastatic pain. PRF is a good alternative.


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