A REPORT ON USE OF 10% LIDOCAINE NEUROLYSIS FOR CHRONIC REFRACTORY SUPRAORBITAL NEURALGIA

We present a case report of a 50-year-old female with a past medical history of chronic headaches diagnosed as supraorbital neuralgia. Her headaches had been refractory to conventional analgesic medications and she had received multiple supraorbital nerve blocks which gave her temporary relief of the headaches lasting up to 2 weeks. The patient also received chemical neurolysis of the supraorbital nerve bilaterally with 10% Lidocaine bilaterally, under fluoroscopic guidance in the pain clinic. The patient reported positive outcome following the block with significant pain control for up to 6-7 months postprocedure. The authors conclude that in a patient with a refractory headache due to supraorbital neuralgia, a 10% lidocaine,injection can be an efficacious alternative to radiofrequency ablation as it yields optimum symptom control for up to 6 - 7 months and is a relatively easy procedure to perform. Furthermore, the procedure is not associated with significant side effects and with reversibility of induced sensory functional deficits, offering an advantage over radiofrequency ablation. Key words: Lidocaine, supraorbital neuralgia, neurolysis, nerve blocks, flouroscopy