Esketamine Combined With PRF for Trigeminal Postherpetic Neuralgia

This study aims to determine whether the addition of esketamine to the PRF regimen can relieve pain in TPHN patients. By doing so, the research endeavors to identify a rapid, effective, and safe treatment approach for refractory TPHN patients

Inclusion criteria

• Ages more than 18 years;
• Pain persisting for over three months following the onset of the herpes zoster skin rash;
• Lesions located in the trigeminal nerve or its branches innervated regions；
• Having an average pain score of at least 4 on a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS, 0 = no pain, 10= worst possible pain)；
• Planned to perform CT-guided PRF treatment of the gasserian ganglion(GG).

Exclusion criteria

• Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome;
• Those who receive other more invasive treatments, such as radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RFT) of GG.
• A history of systemic immune diseases, organ transplantation, or cancers;
• A history of severe cardiopulmonary, hepatic, renal dysfunction or coagulation function disorder;
• A history of schizophrenia, epilepsy, or myasthenia gravis, delirium;
• Comorbid hyperthyroidism or phaeochromocytoma;
• Recent history of drug abuse;
• Having contraindications to esketamine;
• Communication difficulties.
• Women who are preparing for pregnancy, in the pregnancy or lactation period.