Transnasal Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block for the Preventive Treatment of Chronic Daily Headache in Adolescents
Megan Kouri1, Marta Somaini2, Victor Hugo González Cárdenas 3,4,5 , KacperNiburski1, Marie Vigouroux6,7and Pablo Ingelmo7,8,*
Abstract
Chronic headaches are a major source of morbidity in the pediatric population, affectingphysical function, school attendance, social capacity, mood, and sleep. In adults, repetitivesphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) blockade has been studied as a preventive treatment for chronic migraines.This case series aims to evaluate the SPG block for the preventive treatment of chronic dailyheadache (CDH) in adolescents. We prospectively evaluated 17 adolescents (14 females, 14 _ 1 year)with CDH not responding to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), physiotherapy, and standard medications.Each patient received 10 SPG blocks (two blocks/week) using the Tx360EU device. At the endof treatment, 10 patients (59%) reported a Patient’s Global Impression of Change (PGIC) score _ 67%,and 3 months after the end of treatment, nine patients (53%) sustained a PGIC _ 67%. There wasalso a statistically significant reduction in the depression subscale of the Revised Children’s Anxietyand Depression Scale (RCADS) at the end of treatment and 3 months post-treatment compared withbaseline. The procedure was well tolerated with no adverse effects. In our study, the use of repeatSPG blockade was associated with sustained benefits on the PGIC and the depression subscale of theRCADS when used as preventive headache treatment in adolescents with refractory CDH.
(Children 2021, 8, 606. https://doi.org/10.3390/children8070606)
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