The long lasting effects of peripheral nerve blocks for trigeminal neuralgia using a high concentration of tetracaine dissolved in bupivacaine

The management of trigeminal neuralgia in older patients who do not want ne urolytic block and/or surgical treatment may be problematic. This paper des cribes three patients who had first and/or second division trigeminal neura lgia. The analgesic effects of infraorbital nerve block using 0.5% bupivaca ine or 1% mepivacaine dissipated within a few days, however, the effects of nerve blocks using 4% tetracaine dissolved in 0.5% bupivacaine continued f or more than 3 months. Hypesthesia was observed in two patients within a we ek following the block, but sensory level returned to normal within 2 weeks and there were no further complications in any patient. (C) 1999 Internati onal Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.