Effectiveness of Ultrasonography-Guided Serratus Posterior Superior Intercostal Plane Block in Thoracic Postherpetic Neuralgia: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Launched by KANUNI SULTAN SULEYMAN TRAINING AND RESEARCH HOSPITAL · Jul 6, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a new way to help people who have long-lasting pain after shingles, a condition called postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). This pain can be very hard to treat and often continues even after the shingles rash has healed. The study is looking at whether a special type of ultrasound-guided injection, called the serratus posterior superior intercostal plane block (SPSIPB), can reduce this pain for people whose symptoms haven't improved with usual treatments.

People who might be eligible for this study are adults over 18 years old who have PHN affecting the upper to mid-back area (between the first and tenth ribs) and who have not found relief from other medical treatments. Participants will receive a single session of this ultrasound-guided injection, which aims to block pain signals in the affected nerves. The study excludes individuals with certain health issues like neck or back problems, blood clotting disorders, infections, pregnancy, or a history of recent similar procedures. If you join, you can expect to have the procedure done with the help of ultrasound to guide the injection safely and precisely. This trial is currently recruiting people between the ages of 65 and 74, and it may offer a new option for managing stubborn pain after shingles.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Patients over 18 years of age
• • - who underwent a single-session ultrasound (US)-guided serratus posterior superior intercostal plane block (SPSIPB) in the thoracic region (T1-T10 dermatomes) for PHN between June 2023 and February 2025 were evaluated. -SPSIPB was performed in patients whose complaints persisted despite existing medical treatments.
• • Exclusion Criteria:Patients were excluded if they had cervical disc herniation -a history of trauma or surgery involving the neck, shoulder, or back; -malignancy- kyphoscoliosis; a history of inflammatory diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis)
• • congenital anomalies of the spine; neck pain accompanied by neurological deficits
• • pregnancy
• • mental or psychotic disorders
• • hematologic diseases causing bleeding or coagulation disorders
• • use of antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs or other medications predisposing to bleeding
• • severe systemic infections such as sepsis
• • local infection at the planned intervention site
• • known allergy to any of the drugs to be used; or a history of invasive procedures for PHN in the thoracic region within the past three months.