Turkish Neurosurgery 2012 , Vol 22 , Num 4
Micro-Surgical Decompression for Greater Occipital Neuralgia
Fuyong LI, Yi MA, Jianjun ZOU , Yanfeng LI , Bin WANG, Haitao HUANG, Quancai WANG, Liang LI
The People's Hospital of Liaoning Province, the 2nd Department of Neurosurgery, Shenyang, China DOI : 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.5234-11.1 AIM: To evaluate the clinical effect of micro-surgical decompression of greater occipital nerve for greater occipital neuralgia (GON).

MATERIAL and METHODS: 76 patients underwent surgical decompression of the great occipital nerve. A nerve block was tested before operation. The headache rapidly resolved after infiltration of 1% Lidocaine near the tender area of the nerve trunk.

RESULTS: 89 procedures were performed for 76 patients. The mean follow up duration was 20 months (range 7–52 months). The headache symptoms of 68 (89.5%) patients were completely resolved, and another 5 (6.6%) patients were significantly relieved without the need for any further medical treatment. Three (3.9%) patients experienced recurrence of the disorder. All patients experienced hypoesthesia of the innervated area of the great occipital nerve. They recovered gradually within 1 to 6 months after surgery.

CONCLUSION: Micro-surgical decompression of the greater occipital nerve is a safe and effective method for greater occipital neuralgia. We believe our findings support the notion that the technique should also be considered as the first-line procedure for GON. Keywords : Headache, Greater occipital neuralgia, Surgical decompression

Corresponding author : Jianjun Zou, lfy986@sina.com