Evaluation of the salivary function of patients in treatment with radiotherapy for head and neck cancer submitted to photobiomodulation.

BACKGROUND: Head and neck radiotherapy is typically associated with toxicities that can have profound effects on the patient's quality of life. Xerostomia, which may or may not be related to hypofunction of the salivary gland, leading to negative consequences, mainly in quality of life, leaving patients more susceptible to the development of oral mucositis, dental caries, oral infection and difficulties in speech is one of the most common side effects of such treatment. The aim of the present study was to evaluate salivary function of patients in treatment with radiotherapy for head and neck cancer submitted to photobiomodulation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach was carried out in the Dentistry Department of the Hospital de Câncer de Pernambuco between February and September 2019. RESULTS: The study sample comprised 23 patients of both genders, treated with radiotherapy for cancer in the head and neck region. The patients were submitted to photobiomodulation with infrared laser, as intraoral applications in order to prevent mucositis and extraoral applications to stimulate salivary glands. The applications were undertaken three times a week on alternate days throughout the radiotherapy period. The following parameters were used: Intraoral 15mW, 12J / cm2, 10s / point, 2.4 J / point, and extraoral 30mW, 7.5J / cm2, 10s / point, 0.3J / point, both with a wavelength of 830nm and area of 0.028cm². Subjective and objective symptoms were evaluated by measuring the unstimulated salivary flow (USF) using the spitting technique before, during and after radiotherapy treatment. For statistical analysis, a significance level of 5% was adopted. Most patients were male (70%) with 60 years of age on average. At the beginning of treatment, 22 patients had USF > 0.2 ml / min (grade 1), at the end of which 15 patients remained unchanged and only 3 patients progressed to grade 3. As for the subjective classification, most (52%) remained in grade 1 (absence of disability) throughout the treatment. CONCLUSION: Based upon the results of this study it was possible to conclude that the use of photobiomodulation did not significantly interfere with the xerostomia complaint of patients in treatment with radiotherapy, however, it does seem to prevent patients from reaching higher degrees of xerostomia taking into account salivary flow measures.

Autoadministración intranasal de anestésico local (ropivacaína) para bloqueo del ganglio esfenopalatino, para tratamiento de neuralgia de la segunda rama del trigémino secundaria a curetaje del seno maxilar: informe de un caso / Intranasal self-administration of local anesthetic (ropivacaine) for sphenopalatine ganglion block, for treatment of second trigeminal branch neuralgia secondary to maxillary sinus curettage: a case report

La neuralgia del trigémino es un dolor facial severo y a menudo subestimado, que afecta a la calidad de vida. El tratamiento farmacológico es insuficiente para controlar el dolor en el 30 % de los casos y, aunque las técnicas de intervención pueden ser efectivas, existe posibilidad de recidiva y complicaciones asociadas. La segunda rama del nervio trigémino atraviesa el ganglio esfenopalatino, que es anatómicamente accesible al bloqueo, debido a su localización superficial en la cavidad nasal. Reportamos un caso clínico de un paciente con neuralgia del trigémino en la segunda rama incontrolada a quien se prescribió bloqueo del ganglio esfenopalatino ambulatorio autoadministrado con hisopo nasal con ropivacaína al 0,75%. Durante las visitas de seguimiento, confirmamos que este tratamiento adyuvante proporcionaba un alivio del dolor significativo durante 24 horas, con descenso del número de exacerbaciones

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a severe and often underestimated facial pain that affects quality of life. Pharmacological treatment is insufficient for pain control in 30 % of cases and, although intervention techniques may be effective, there is a possibility of relapse and associated complications. The second division of the trigeminal nerve (V2) runs through the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG), which is anatomically accessible to blocking due to its superficial location in the nasal cavity. We report a clinical case of a patient with uncontrolled V2 TN that was put on ambulatory self-administered SPG block with nasal swabs soaked in 0.75% ropivacaine. In the follow-up visits, we confirmed that this adjuvant treatment provided a significant pain relief over 24 hours with a decrease in the number of exacerbations