Department of Neurology, International St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, Catholic Kwandong University, 25, 100 Beon-gil, Simgok-ro, Seo-gu, Incheon 22711, Korea.
Department of Medical Business Administration, Daegu Haany University, 201, Daegudae-ro, Gyeongsan-si 38610, Korea.
Toxins (Basel). 2021 May 4;13(5):332. doi: 10.3390/toxins13050332.
Intractable chronic occipital neuralgia (ON) is an uncommon type of headache often experienced by patients in outpatient neurological clinics. Among patients unresponsive to oral neuralgia medications, needling or injections with several drugs were suggested alternatives for treating chronic ON. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness and safety of botulinum toxin type-A (BTX-A) injection treatments, where eight patients with unilateral chronic ON received BTX-A injections at the pain sites. The pain relief effect was observed 2 weeks after receiving the injections, gradually showing improvements up to 12 weeks after injection. There were no adverse events or changes from baseline in serologic studies and vital signs in any of the participants. The treatment's pain-relieving effects were confirmed through regular, 12-week follow-ups, confirming the safety and effectiveness of BTX-A on chronic ON and suggesting that this method is an effective, novel alternative option for chronic ON treatment.
难治性慢性枕神经痛（ON）是一种不常见的头痛类型，常在神经内科门诊就诊的患者中出现。对于口服镇痛药治疗无效的患者，针刺或联合几种药物注射是治疗慢性 ON 的替代选择。本研究旨在确定肉毒毒素 A 型（BTX-A）注射治疗的有效性和安全性，8 例单侧慢性 ON 患者在疼痛部位接受 BTX-A 注射。注射后 2 周观察到疼痛缓解效果，直至注射后 12 周逐渐改善。在任何参与者的血清学研究和生命体征中均未出现不良事件或与基线相比的变化。通过定期的 12 周随访，证实了治疗的止痛效果，证实了 BTX-A 治疗慢性 ON 的安全性和有效性，并提示该方法是治疗慢性 ON 的一种有效、新颖的替代选择。
