Will Dr Samji be able to see or check for
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia before, during, or after surgery?
Hi Amy
He needs a MRI scan to see if your glossopharyngeal nerve is compressed. Usually the MRI will tell if there is a vascular issue with this nerve. You wont be able to do a visual test showing glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GN). Just if there is vascular issue. I know this because I have glossopharyngeal pain and my MRI shows that a blood vessel is wrapped around this nerve. As if it was not enough to have ES… Neurosurgeons have advised me to go with the ES surgery and that this will hopefully resolve the GN. I believe that.
But … If the GN is brought on by ES, you wont be able to verify it in any other way that to have styloids out and hope for pain to go away. I have been told by neurolgists that there is no guarantee that this pain can be 100% cured even when cause is removed. Soething to do with the unpredictable nature of any neuralgia. Once they are there, they might stay.
The neurologists measure the neuralgia pains on a scale called VAS from 0-10 (ten beeing the worst pain you can ever imagine) combined with a cotton-stick test trying to provoke pain by soft touch on back of tongue, inside cheeks
If you are feeling that your VAS points are lower after surgery… It is the best indication that it has had something to do with ES
Best
Eagle Rose
Thank you!! Good to know about GN assessment.