Injections of lidocaine of trigeminal structures in therapy of tinnitus patients

Introduction Tinnitus is defined as the perception of noise without an acoustic stimulus. Due to the heterogenity among the group of tinnitus patients there is a lack of an unique therapeutic concept. Many studies showed associations between somatic manouvers of the neck and the temporomandibular joint and perception of tinnitus. Therefore, the concept of a therapeutic use of injections of lidocain in trigeminal structures was developed.

Materials: Data of two studies with 19 and 20 patients treated in the Practical Practice of Otorhinolaryngology in Traunstein were analysed at the University of Regensburg. After three injections in the anatomical area of the ganglion trigeminale and the ganglion oticum by an oral approach we performed a follow-up investigation during 12 weeks. In addition to changes of the subjective tinnitus complaints, potential side effects were documented.

Results There were no relevant side effects, and we found that patients showed a reduction of their tinnitus complaints in both studies. The effect on the TG and the CGI Score was higher in patients with headache complaints.

Conclusion Our analysis showed that injections in the area of trigeminal structures could result in changes of tinnitus perception. In another study, additional research with placebo controlled injection should help to investigate the effects in detail and develop new therapeutic approaches.

Poster-PDF A-1536.PDF

Publication History

Article published online:
10 June 2020