Relief of Postherpetic Neuralgia with Transforaminal Epidural Injection of Magnesium: A Case Report

Author: Ho Kyoung YU ¹ ; Joon Ho LEE ; Sung Hwan CHO ; Yong Ik KIM
Author Information

1. Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Bucheon Hospital, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Bucheon, Korea. anpjuno@gmail.com
Publication Type:Case Report
Keywords: epidural injections; magnesium sulphate; N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor; postherpetic neuralgia
MeSH: Chronic Pain; Injections, Epidural; Magnesium; N-Methylaspartate; Neuralgia, Postherpetic; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate
From:The Korean Journal of Pain 2011;24(1):53-56
CountryRepublic of Korea
Language:English
Abstract: Although postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a common chronic pain syndrome, the pathophysiology of this disorder is not well known and management is often very difficult. N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists are known to be effective in PHN, and magnesium, a physiological blocker of NMDA receptors, is widely used to treat various chronic pain disorders. Here, we present a case of the PHN refractory to conventional treatment, which was treated successfully with transforaminal epidural injection of magnesium sulphate at the affected dermatome.