Skip to main content

Table 11 Studies of SPG blocks for other pain syndromes of the head and face

From: Sphenopalatine ganglion: block, radiofrequency ablation and neurostimulation - a systematic review

Pain syndromes of the head and face

Author

Year

Medical problems

Approach

Imaging

Medication

Number of cases

Study design

Outcome

Ruskin et al. [62]

1925

SP maxillary neuralgia, SP facial neuralgia, SP sympathetic neuralgia, SPG cell neuralgia

Needle injection.

None

20% Cocaine, 10% silver nitrate, 70% alcohol

7

Case series

Improvements or complete relief

Stechison et al. [63]

1994

Post-traumatic atypical facial pain syndrome

Needle injection. Transfacial transpterygomaxillary access to foramen rotundum SPG and maxillary nerve

CT

First stage: 0.5% bupivacaine, Second stage: 98% ethyl alcohol and 0.5% bupivacaine in 2:1 ratio

5

Case series

3 had alcohol neurotomy and pain free at 5, 8 and 12 months. 2 responded poorly to first stage blockade and did not have alcohol neurotomy.

Peterson et al. [12]

1995

Atypical odontalgia

Cotton tip, self-application

None

4% lidocaine

1

Case report

Pain free

Saade et al. [64]

1996

Pain from midline granuloma

Self-administered SPG block

None

Lidocaine

1

Case report

Significant pain relief

Puig et al. [65]

1998

Sluder’s neuralgia

Cotton tip applicator and transnasal needle

None

88% phenol

8

Case series

90% decrease in head and face pain for 9.5-month duration

Windsor et al. [66]

2004

Herpetic keratitis

Transnasal cotton tip applicator

None

Tetracaine, adrenalin and 10% cocaine]

1

Case report

Effect of block lasts for a month. Requires months blocks

Obah et al. [67]

2006

Hemifacial and headache

Transnasal

None

4% lidocaine

1

Case report

80% reduction in pain intensity

Cohen et al. [33]

2009

Postdural puncture headache

Cotton tip applicator

None

Lignocaine

13

Case series

11 out of 13 had immediate relief of headache

Morelli et al. [68]

2010

Paroxysmal hemicrania resistant to multiple therapies

Endoscopic needle injection into the nasal mucous membrane immediately behind and over the inferior portion of the sphenopalatine foramen and into the fossa

None

Triamcinolone acetonide, 1% bupivacaine, 2% mepivacaine with adrenalin

1

Case report

Reduction in frequency and intensity of pain

Rodman et al. [35]

2012

Nasal pain or headache

Endoscopic needle injection

None

0.5% bupivacaine and triamcinolone acetonide

147

Case series

81.3% of patients have improvement

Grant et al. [69]

2014

Tension headache in pregnant woman

Cotton tip applicator

None

4% lidocaine

1

Case report

BID block for a total of 7 blocks, pain free after

Kastler et al. [55]

2014

Cluster headache (14), persistent idiopathic facial pain (10), and other types of facial pain (18)

Infrazygomatic approach

CT

Absolute alcohol

28

Case series

85.7% of patient with persistent idiopathic facial pain and 40% of other types of facial pain had 50% pain relief at 1 month

Androulakis et al. [70]

2016

Hemicrania continua

Tx360 device

None

Repetitive 0.5% bupivacaine

1

Case report

Significant improvement in headache by 14 week

Malec-Milewska et al. [71]

2015

Trigeminal neuropathy

Zygomatic approach

Fluoroscopy

65% ethanol with lidocaine

20

Case series

Significant pain relief

Schaffer [34]

2015

Acute anterior or global headache

Tx360 device

None

0.5% bupivacaine

93

Randomized placebo-controlled

No statistically significant difference

Sussman et al. [72]

2016

Chronic posttraumatic headache after sport-related concussion

Cotton-tip applicator

None

2% lidocaine and 0.5% bupivacaine

1

Case report

Symptom free at 6-month follow-up