SHORT-TERM EVALUATION OF PERIRADICULAR CORTICOSTEROID INJECTIONS IN THE TREATMENT OF LUMBAR RADICULOPATHY ASSOCIATED WITH DISC DISEASE

Objectives: the purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of periradicular corticosteroid injections performed unde r fluoroscopic guidance in the treatment of pain originating in the lu mbosacral nerve roots, Method: forty patients presenting with lumbosci atica or femoral neuralgia unresponsive to conventional conservative t reatment were admitted to the study, Patients with nerve root pain due to infectious, tumorous or inflammatory diseases were excluded, as we re patients who needed immediate surgery, Pain was evaluated using a v isual analog scale on the day of the injection and ten (D10) and ninet y (D90) days later, Results: all patients were evaluated as scheduled on D10 and D90, The mean visual analog scale score decreased from 53.3 mm at baseline to 30.1 mm on D10 and to 21.8 mm on D90, Ninety per ce nt of patients had a visual analog pain score decrease on D10 and 85% on D90, Reported side effects were two cases of mild spontaneously reg ressive acne and one case of radicular pain exacerbation of less than one day's duration, Conclusion: periradicular injections of corticoste roids done under fluoroscopic guidance as an outpatient procedure was effective and safe in our study and may deserve to be used as part of the conservative management of lumbar nerve root pain before resorting to more invasive methods.