Dosal Root Ganglionectomy for a Post-Herpetic Neuralgia: Case Report

ABSTRACT

We report a case of thoracic post-herpetic neuralgia which was improved by dorsal root ganglionectomy. The patient had failed to obtain adequate pain relief from conservative therapy such as carbamazepine, amitriptyline, thioridazine, gabapentin, and transcutaneous lidocaine infiltration. Thoracic dorsal root ganglionectomy from T5 to T7 on left side was performed and satisfactory pain relief without significant postoperative neurologic deficit was achieved. Although dorsal root entry zone operation for refractory pain was the most commonly performed procedure in past, dorsal root ganglionectomy is an alternative anatomically and technically safe procedure for the pain in the thoracic lesion. The clinical feature, operative technique and clinical result are presented with review of the literatures.