Glossopharyngeal neuralgia: a presentation of 14 cases

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to present a series of clinical cases on glossopharyngeal neuralgia as well as the therapeutic approach used.

Patients and methods: This observational, descriptive, and retrospective study was carried out on 14 patients who were diagnosed with glossopharyngeal neuralgia between the years 1997 and 2007 at the Oral-Facial and Implant Surgery Department and at the Otorhinolaryngology, Neurology, and Neurosurgery Departments of the Madrid University Hospital.

Results: The study consisted of 8 women and 6 men. The neuralgia was found predominantly on the left side, and considering the 4 areas of topographical distribution into which the distribution of the ninth nerve is divided, the results of our study showed that the maximum of the areas affected was 3, with 2 areas being the most common. Accompanying symptoms were only recorded in 4 of the cases. In 12 of the cases, initial treatment was with prescription drugs consisting of different doses of carbamazepine. In the remaining cases, or once the other course of treatment was proven to be unsuccessful, surgical treatment was used, applying different techniques and obtaining a high rate of success with them.

Conclusions: Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is an uncommon pathology that is treated with medicine or surgery, with carbamazepine and vascular microdecompression being the treatments of choice.