title: Occipital nerve stimulation for refractory headache in the Chiari malformation population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic occipital and suboccipital headache is a common symptom in patients with Chiari I malformation. These headaches may persist despite appropriate surgical treatment of the underlying pathology via suboccipital decompression, duraplasty, and cerebrospinal fluid diversion. Occipital nerve stimulation has been shown to be effective in the treatment of a variety of occipital headache/pain syndromes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To review retrospectively our experience with occipital nerve stimulation in patients with a primary diagnosis of Chiari malformation and a history of chronic occipital pain intractable to medical and surgical therapies.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a retrospective analysis of our series of 22 patients with Chiari malformation and persistent occipital headaches who underwent occipital neurostimulator trials and, after successful trials, permanent stimulator placement. A trial was considered successful with >50% pain relief as assessed with a standard Visual Analog Scale score. Patients with a successful trial underwent permanent placement approximately 1 to 2 weeks later. Patients were assessed postoperatively for pain relief via the Visual Analog Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-eight percent of patients (15 of 22) had a successful stimulator trial and proceeded to permanent implantation. Of those implanted, 87% (13 of 15) reported continued pain relief at a mean follow-up of 18.9 months (range, 6-51 months). Device-related complications requiring additional surgeries occurred in 40% of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Occipital stimulation may provide significant long-term pain relief in selected Chiari I malformation patients with persistent occipital pain. Larger and longer-term studies are needed to further define appropriate patient selection criteria and to refine the surgical technique to minimize device-related complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine and Cushing Neuroscience Institutes at North Shore-LIJ Health System, Manhasset, New York 11021, USA.
authors.forename: Sudhakar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vadivelu
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bolognese
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Milhorat
authors.forename: Alon Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Mogilner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001139:Arnold-Chiari Malformation / Q000150:complications*; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010525:Peripheral Nerves; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012886:Skull / Q000294:innervation*; D055815:Young Adult