Treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia. A review of 77 consecutive cases.
The treatment of 77 consecutive cases of post-herpetic neuralgia is reviewed. Stellate blockade proved helpful in 75% of patients with pain of less than 1 year's duration; 40% became virtually pain free. Drug treatment and electrical counterirritation methods gave improvement in 60% of cases but only 15% became pain free. Stellate block carried out after 1 year of pain proved helpful in only 44% of patients, and only 22% became pain free. Stellate blockade carried out within 1 year of the onset of symptoms would appear to be one of the treatments of choice for post-herpetic neuralgia. It would be of interest to see the results of a controlled randomised trial.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001340:Autonomic Nerve Block; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D005476:Fluphenazine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D013233:Stellate Ganglion / Q000187:drug effects*
D000700:Analgesics; D000639:Amitriptyline; D002220:Carbamazepine; D005476:Fluphenazine