SHORT-TERM ASSESSMENT OF PERIRADICULAR CORTICOSTEROID INJECTIONS IN LUMBAR RADICULOPATHY ASSOCIATED WITH DISC PATHOLOGY

We evaluated periradicular injection of corticosteroids performed by n euroradiologists under fluoroscopic guidance in the treatment of lumbo sacral nerve root pain in 40 patients (average age 48 years) presentin g with lumbosciatica or radiculopathy not responding to conservative t reatment, Patients with root pain due to infectious, neoplastic or inf lammatory diseases were excluded, as were patients who needed immediat e surgery. Pain was evaluated using a visual analogue scale (VAS) 10 a nd 90 days after the injection, After 10 days a substantial decrease i n root pain was observed, with a statistically significant decrease in mean VAS. This decrease was observed in 90 % of patients, and it pers isted after 90 days in 85 %. Side effects were rare, mild and disappea red spontaneously, They were related to the drug injected (corticoster oids).