Bautista Andrei Lyle, Coyne Killian, Bautista Alexander, Abd-Elsayed Alaa
School of Public Health and Information Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
Brain Sci. 2025 Jun 22;15(7):672. doi: 10.3390/brainsci15070672.
Headache disorders are among the most prevalent and disabling neurological conditions worldwide, affecting more than three billion individuals and contributing to a substantial socioeconomic burden. Despite the availability of pharmacologic treatments such as triptans, NSAIDs, and CGRP monoclonal antibodies, a significant proportion of patients remain refractory or intolerant to these therapies. The sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG), a parasympathetic neural structure in the pterygopalatine fossa, is increasingly recognized as a critical node in the pathophysiology of primary headache disorders. SPG blocks-using local anesthetics, neurolytic agents, or electrical neuromodulation-offer a minimally invasive therapeutic approach by disrupting nociceptive transmission and autonomic activation. This narrative review synthesizes the anatomical and physiological rationale for SPG intervention, details various procedural techniques, evaluates clinical evidence across headache subtypes, and explores future research directions. Conditions covered include migraine, cluster headache, tension-type headache, trigeminal neuralgia, and persistent idiopathic facial pain. With expanding evidence and evolving technologies, SPG-targeted interventions have the potential to reshape the management of refractory headaches and facial pain syndromes.
头痛疾病是全球最普遍且使人丧失能力的神经系统疾病之一,影响着超过30亿人,并造成了巨大的社会经济负担。尽管有曲坦类药物、非甾体抗炎药和降钙素基因相关肽(CGRP)单克隆抗体等药物治疗方法,但仍有很大一部分患者对这些疗法无效或不耐受。蝶腭神经节(SPG)是翼腭窝内的一个副交感神经结构,越来越被认为是原发性头痛疾病病理生理学中的一个关键节点。通过使用局部麻醉剂、神经溶解剂或电神经调节进行SPG阻滞,通过破坏伤害性传递和自主神经激活,提供了一种微创治疗方法。这篇叙述性综述综合了SPG干预的解剖学和生理学原理,详细介绍了各种手术技术,评估了不同头痛亚型的临床证据,并探讨了未来的研究方向。涵盖的病症包括偏头痛、丛集性头痛、紧张型头痛、三叉神经痛和持续性特发性面部疼痛。随着证据的不断增加和技术的不断发展,针对SPG的干预措施有可能重塑难治性头痛和面部疼痛综合征的治疗方式。