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The following is a summary of “Efficacy and Safety of Pulsed Radiofrequency of Dorsal Root Ganglion in Elderly Patient Population With Acute and Subacute Zoster-Related Pain,” published in the September 2024 issue of Pain by Dağıstan et al.

Herpes zoster (HZ) is characterized by pain, hyperalgesia, and allodynia. In some patients, the pain persists after the lesions resolve, leading to chronic postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), which increases the frequency and severity with age, and the pain can be severe and resistant to treatment. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the efficacy and safety of interventional pain management techniques in elderly patients with a high risk of developing PHN.

They analyzed patients over 65 with HZ-related pain who underwent dorsal root ganglion (DRG) pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) within 6 months from the onset of pain. The patients were categorized into 2 groups: patients who underwent intervention within the 1 month from the onset of pain and with intervention between 1 and 6 months; medication doses and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) scores were recorded before the procedure at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months. 

After the DRG PRF treatment, the results showed improved NRS scores in both groups (P< 0.05). The mean NRS score in the early DRG PRF group was lower than those in the late DRG PRF group ( P< 0.05), and the medication doses in the early DRG PRF group were also lower than other groups (P< 0.05).

They concluded early interventional pain treatment, such as DRG PRF, was safe and effective in preventing the progression of acute HZ to chronic PHN in elderly patients who do not respond to or cannot tolerate medical treatment.

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1155/2024/6586167