• Dong-Yang Liu, Jin-Sheng Chen, Chu-Yan Lin, Qing-Juan Gong, Qing Zhao, and Li Wan.
• Department of Pain Management, The State Key Clinical Specialty for Pain Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
• Clin J Pain. 2021 Dec 1; 37 (12): 867871867-871.

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to observe the effect of subcutaneous stimulation of the peripheral nerve on acute or subacute zoster occurring in trigeminal nerve branches, and to evaluate the preventive effect of prior temporary implant of a peripheral stimulation electrode in the acute or subacute phase of herpes zoster (HZ) (from 30 to 90 d after zoster onset) before postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) presents.Methods And MaterialsA total of 26 patients' medical records were analyzed. All of patients had received temporary subcutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS). The clinical efficacy of treatment was evaluated on a visual analog scale (VAS), and dosages of pain medication were recorded before and at 1 to 6 months after the temporary stimulation. The rate of PHN was reevaluated at a 6 months follow-up.ResultsThere was a significant decrease in VAS values after PNS. Medication doses decreased significantly after TPNS. The rate of clinically meaningful PHN (VAS >3) dropped below 4%.DiscussionThis study revealed that PNS is an effective treatment for trigeminal herpetic neuralgia following acute or subacute HZ. As a extend neuromodulation method, subcutaneous peripheral nerve-field stimulation might be a useful option to reduce the progression of neuropathic changes caused by persistent transmission of pain signals in the trigeminal nerve branches after the acute or subacute phase of HZ.Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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