Long-term efficacy of superior laryngeal nerve block for the treatment of chronic neurogenic cough.

PURPOSE

The study aimed to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) block for treating chronic neurogenic cough (CNC) in a large patient cohort.

METHODS

A retrospective review was conducted on patients treated between January 2019 and October 2023. Data collected included patient demographics, number of injections, follow-up times, subjective cough severity, and Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) scores.

RESULTS

Among 117 patients (76.1% female; mean age 66.1), the median number of injections was 3, with a median follow-up duration of 4 weeks. Subjective improvement was reported in 74.4% of cases, with mild adverse events occurring in 8.4% of injections. Regression analysis showed a strong correlation between decreased subjective severity and time. LCQ scores improved slightly within 1-3 months and 25-40 months.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that SLN blocks effectively reduce subjective severity and improve LCQ scores long-term, with sequential injections potentially reducing chronic steroid use risks. Further prospective studies are recommended to optimize dosing intervals.