[Local treatment of periarthropathies with the 5-HT3-receptor-antagonist tropisetron].

All substances used in the local treatment for periarthropathies, such as local anesthetics, corticosteroids or botulinum toxin A, possess certain disadvantages. Finding alternatives to these agents in the local treatment of the disease therefore seems desirable. Comparative studies proved a local injection of the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, tropisetron (Navoban(R)), to be more effective than an injection of the local anesthetic prilocaine in treating periarthropathies of different localizations. A comparison between the local injection of 10 mg of depot dexamethasone combined with 60 mg of lidocaine and 5 mg of tropisetron showed that the two regimens had the same effect. These findings demonstrate that a local injection of 5 mg tropisetron does represent an alternative to the local treatment with corticosteriods plus local anesthetics. However, these results should be corroborated by additional studies.