title: Treatment of a patient with glossopharyngeal neuralgia by the anterior tonsillar pillar method.
abstract: We describe the case of a 65-year-old patient with glossopharyngeal neuralgia. Pain was triggered by swallowing, yawning, or cold food. We used the anterior tonsillar pillar method for the injection of drugs; a relatively new glossopharyngeal nerve (GPN) block which was described by Benumof (Anesthesiology 1991;75:1094-1096). Performing this GPN block, daily levobupivacaine (Chirocaine® 5 mg/ml) and oral amitriptyline (Laroxyl® 10 mg) were given, as well as methylprednisolone acetate injectable suspension (Depo-Medrol® 40 mg/ml) once only at the beginning of the treatment. A 0-10 point visual analogue scale was used daily to evaluate the pain. Pain was successfully controlled with a steroid added to the GPN block and orally administered tricyclic antidepressant. We think that this treatment is effective for glossopharyngeal neuropathy and could be of interest to pain management physicians.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Harput State Hospital, Ministry of Health of Turkey, Elazig, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cemil Ahmet
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Isbir