Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Lecturer, Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kafr El-Sheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt.
2
Anesthesiology, Surgical Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
3
Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kafr El-Sheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt.
4
Department of Neurosurgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, MUST University, Cairo, Egypt.
5
Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
6
Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Port Said University, Port Said, Egypt.
7
Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
8
Neurosurgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, Kafr El-Sheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt.
10.21608/asmj.2025.351376.1367
Abstract
Background: Conventional treatments for occipital neuralgia (ON) sometimes only provide short-term or partial relief, even though the condition is highly disabling. A new minimally invasive technique that shows promise is hydro dissection of the greater occipital nerve guided by ultrasonography—the work aimed to assess the efficacy of ultrasound-guided hydro dissection in the management of ON.
Methods: This single-arm interventional study was conducted on 50 patients aged 18 to 70 years old, both sexes, who had ON, scheduled for US-guided hydro dissection. The visual analog scale (VAS) was used to measure pain, the modified Rankin scale(mRS) was used to measure outcomes, and patient satisfaction was evaluated.
Results: Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Modified Rankin scale measurements were significantly lower immediately post-
intervention, 1w and 1m than pre-intervention (P<0.001). Patient satisfaction score was significantly higher immediately post-intervention, 1w and 1m than pre-intervention (P<0.001). The percentage of improvement was significantly higher at 1w and 1m than at immediate post-intervention (P<0.001).
Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided hydro dissection presents considerable promise for individuals suffering from ON,
demonstrating decreased pain levels, improved functional outcomes as measured by the Modified Rankin Scale, and increased patient satisfaction.
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