An unusual challenge in performing sphenopalatine ganglion block with enlarged coronoid process: Jacob's disease

Jacob's Disease: Case Series, Extensive Literature Review and Classification Proposal

Jacob's disease is a rare entity consisting of the formation of a pseudojoint between an abnormal coronoid process of the mandible and the inner surface of the zygomatic bone. First described by Jacob in 1899, its diagnosis and definition have never been entirely univocal. In this paper, we present three emblematic cases and an extensive review of the literature on Jacob's disease. Given the variability observed in the presentation of the disease, we have developed a proposal for the classification, here reported.

Multicentre, prospective, randomised, controlled, blinded-endpoint study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pterygopalatine ganglion pulsed radiofrequency treatment for cluster headache: study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Single-centre reports on small groups of patients have shown that pterygopalatine ganglion pulsed radiofrequency treatment in patients with refractory cluster headache (CH) can quickly relieve pain without significant side effects. However, a randomised controlled trial is still necessary to evaluate whether pterygopalatine ganglion pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) treatment is a viable treatment option for patients with CH who are not responding to drug treatment.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This investigation is a multicentre, prospective, randomised, controlled, blinded-endpoint study. We will enrol 80 patients with CH who are not responding to medication. The enrolled patients will be randomly divided into two groups: the nerve block (NB) group and the PRF group. All patients will undergo CT-guided pterygopalatine ganglion puncture. A mixture containing steroids and local anaesthetics will be slowly injected into the patients in the NB group. The patients in the PRF group will be treated with PRF at 42°C for 360 s. After treatment, the duration of cluster periods; degree of pain during headache attacks; frequency of headache attacks; duration of each headache attack; dose of auxiliary analgesic drugs; duration of remission; degree of patient satisfaction; effectiveness rates at 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after the procedure; and intraoperative and postoperative adverse events will be compared between the two groups.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study was approved by the institutional ethics committee of the Beijing Tiantan Hospital (approval number: KY 2018-027-02). The results of the study will be published in peer-reviewed journals, and the findings will be presented at scientific meetings.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03567590; Pre-results.

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

Background

Sphenopalatine ganglion is the largest collection of neurons in the calvarium outside of the brain. Over the past century, it has been a target for interventional treatment of head and facial pain due to its ease of access. Block, radiofrequency ablation, and neurostimulation have all been applied to treat a myriad of painful syndromes. Despite the routine use of these interventions, the literature supporting their use has not been systematically summarized. This systematic review aims to collect and summarize the level of evidence supporting the use of sphenopalatine ganglion block, radiofrequency ablation and neurostimulation.

Methods

Medline, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases were reviewed for studies on sphenopalatine ganglion block, radiofrequency ablation and neurostimulation. Studies included in this review were compiled and analyzed for their treated medical conditions, study design, outcomes and procedural details. Studies were graded using Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Medicine for level of evidence. Based on the level of evidence, grades of recommendations are provided for each intervention and its associated medical conditions.

Results

Eighty-three publications were included in this review, of which 60 were studies on sphenopalatine ganglion block, 15 were on radiofrequency ablation, and 8 were on neurostimulation. Of all the studies, 23 have evidence level above case series. Of the 23 studies, 19 were on sphenopalatine ganglion block, 1 study on radiofrequency ablation, and 3 studies on neurostimulation. The rest of the available literature was case reports and case series. The strongest evidence lies in using sphenopalatine ganglion block, radiofrequency ablation and neurostimulation for cluster headache. Sphenopalatine ganglion block also has evidence in treating trigeminal neuralgia, migraines, reducing the needs of analgesics after endoscopic sinus surgery and reducing pain associated with nasal packing removal after nasal operations.

Conclusions

Overall, sphenopalatine ganglion is a promising target for treating cluster headache using blocks, radiofrequency ablation and neurostimulation. Sphenopalatine ganglion block also has some evidence supporting its use in a few other conditions. However, most of the controlled studies were small and without replications. Further controlled studies are warranted to replicate and expand on these previous findings.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s10194-017-0826-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.