GLOSSOPHARYNGEAL NEURALGIA - A STUDY OF 6 CASES

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is a rare disease. In this re port; six cas es of glossopharyngeal neuralgia have been studied. At first, drug the rapy was used in all of the 6 cases. In 2 of the 6 cases which were re sistant to medical therapy intracranial section of the 9th nerve as we ll as the upper two rootlets of the 10th nerve were performed. This re solved the symptoms completely. One of these two cases, had, in additi on to pain paroxyms, hypotension, bradycardia and syncope, which were controlled by temporary cardiac pacemaker. In the other 4 cases, drug therapy was able to control the paroxysms of pain. In addition, two pa tients with weight loss and one patient with bradycardia rapidly respo nded to drug therapy as well. Reviewing the literature, we discuss the medical and surgical treatment of glossopharyngeal neuralgia and poss ible mechanisms of associated cardiovascular disturbances.