title: Response to pudendal nerve block in women with pudendal neuralgia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the evolution of pain and the duration of numbness after neural blockade of the pudendal nerve in women with pudendal neuralgia and correlate with clinical and historical data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, single arm, open label study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital and outpatient clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-two adult female patients were recruited from November 8, 2008 to February 14, 2010. Patients were selected based on the presence of spontaneous or provoked pain in the distribution of the pudendal nerve.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects underwent a standardized pudendal nerve block.
  
  
  METHODS
  Visual analog pain scores and the presence of numbness were recorded before and for 64 hours after the pudendal nerve block. A complete clinical history and examination were documented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-six patients completed the study. About 86.9% had a reduction in one or more pain symptom, while 44.3% found that more than one of their pain symptoms did not return. About 69.7% of patients reported numbness lasting up to 16 hours or longer. Previous gynecological surgery was recorded in 75.8%, previous traumatic obstetric events in 47.0% of cases. Prolonged history of pain correlated with a reduced chance of positive outcome of the pudendal nerve block.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with pudendal neuralgia, the pudendal nerve block has a variable response, but may have a beneficial effect in a subset of women. Surgical and obstetrical trauma are common historical antecedents.
authors.affiliation: School of Women and Children, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. thierryvancaillie@mac.com
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vancaillie
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eggermont
authors.forename: Georgina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: Sherin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jarvis
authors.forename: Jinzhu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Beg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002181:Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D060525:Pudendal Nerve / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000293:injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D060545:Pudendal Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult