Intractable Greater Occipital Neuralgia Treated by C-2 Ganglionectomy: Report of Two Cases
作者
Shiu-Jau Chen, Chih-Hsin Wu, Hshu-Hshing Lin, Ming-Chien Kao
卷期/出版年月
36卷5期 (2003/10)
頁次
230-234
摘要
Greater occipital neuralgia is characterized by lancinating pain extending from the occiput up to the cranial vertex. It may be idiopathic or may appear following a history of cervical trauma. We report two cases of intractable greater occipital neuralgia successfully treated by open C-2 ganglionectomy. Both patients had a history of cervical spine trauma prior to the onset of neuralgia. The pain was not controlled well by conservative treatment with medication, physical modalities, and local injections. No evidence of mechanical compression was seen during surgery except for an engorged venous plexus around the ganglion. Based on our experience and recommendations in the literature, we recommend C-2 ganglionectomy as one of an effective treatment for post-traumatic occipital neuralgia.