Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for a Refractory Case of Postherpetic Neuralgia in the Upper Limb: A Case Report.
Publication/Presentation Date
2-1-2024
Abstract
Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a chronic neuropathic pain syndrome that is a direct consequence of the reactivation of varicella zoster virus (VZV). It manifests as neuropathic pain, which is pain that occurs because of dysfunction or damage of the nerves that carry sensations to the brain, and this typically persists for months to years after herpes zoster. Current conservative management for PHN includes a combination of topical agents (i.e., lidocaine and capsaicin) and systemic therapy (i.e., serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), gabapentin, pregabalin, and opioids). For refractory cases, with persistent intractable pain, more invasive interventional techniques can be used as pain-relieving measures to improve the patient's quality of life. This report presents a patient with upper limb PHN who responded to peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) after he failed to obtain sufficient pain relief with conservative management.
Volume
16
Issue
2
First Page
55168
Last Page
55168
ISSN
2168-8184
Published In/Presented At
Kalava, A., Mihaylov, S. V., Austin, H. K., & Acharya, S. (2024). Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for a Refractory Case of Postherpetic Neuralgia in the Upper Limb: A Case Report. Cureus, 16(2), e55168. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.55168
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
PubMedID
38558725
Department(s)
Fellows and Residents
Document Type
Article
