Cryoneurolysis of auriculotemporal nerve for treatment of otalgia
Abstract
Otalgia in adults is often secondary to non-otologic pathology, particularly with normal otoscopic examination. Auriculotemporal neuralgia (ATN) is a rare and overlooked cause of secondary otalgia. We present a case of an Army veteran with chronic right otalgia and dizziness following blast-related mild traumatic brain injury who was initially diagnosed with vestibular migraine. Despite significant improvement in headache symptoms with migraine-directed preventive and abortive treatments, otalgia persisted. Auriculotemporal nerve block produced complete but short-lived pain relief, confirming ATN. Cryoneurolysis of the auriculotemporal nerve resulted in complete resolution of otalgia for 2-3 months after first and second treatments. However, transient worsening of tinnitus, ear pressure and dizziness also occurred but eventually returned to baseline. This case highlights cryoneurolysis as a potential therapeutic option for refractory ATN-related otalgia.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Calcium Ions in the Physiology and Pathology of the Central Nervous System
- AI-powered in silico twins: redefining precision medicine through simulation, personalization, and predictive healthcare
- In silico functional, structural and pathogenicity analysis of missense single nucleotide polymorphisms in human MCM6 gene
- In Silico drug repurposing pipeline using deep learning and structure based approaches in epilepsy
- Targeting serotonin receptors with phytochemicals – an in-silico study
- In silico exploration of anti-prostate cancer compounds from differential expressed genes
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.