Bilateral Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block in the Management of Headache Associated With Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Case Report
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) plays a pivotal role in the modulation of craniofacial pain. SPG blocks have been explored for various headache types; however, their efficacy in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)-associated headaches remains underreported.
CASE REPORT: A 26-year-old woman with a history of chronic migraine and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia presented with severe holocranial headache and focal seizures following a central nervous system relapse and thrombocytopenia-induced bihemispheric SAH. Initial pharmacological management included hydromorphone, pregabalin, and amitriptyline. A bilateral transnasal SPG block was performed, followed by a fluoroscopy-guided SPG block, resulting in a significant reduction in pain intensity, from a numeric rating scale score of 10/10 to 3/10.
CONCLUSIONS: SPG blocks show promising potential in the management of persistent headaches following SAH. An initial noninvasive transnasal approach, followed by more invasive techniques when necessary, may provide substantial pain relief and improve patient quality of life. Further research is needed to validate these findings and optimize treatment protocols.
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.