Chronic XXXX and ultrasound-guided abdominal cutaneous nerve infiltration: a case series.

@entity1 @entity134 @entity158 @entity490
BACKGROUND: Chronic @entity490 occurs in about 10-30% of @entity1 presenting with chronic @entity490 . Entrapment of abdominal cutaneous nerves at the lateral border of the rectus abdominis muscle has been attributed as a cause of @entity490 . We report our experience of treating such @entity1 using ultrasound-guided abdominal cutaneous nerve infiltration. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective audit of abdominal cutaneous nerve infiltration performed in the period between September 2008 to August 2009 in our center. All @entity1 had received local anesthetic and @entity134 injection under ultrasound guidance. The response to the infiltration was evaluated in the post-procedure telephone review as well as in the follow-up clinic. Brief @entity158 inventory (BPI) and numerical rating scale @entity158 scores were collated from two points: the initial outpatient clinic and the follow up clinic up to 5 months following the injection. RESULTS: Nine @entity1 had abdominal cutaneous nerve injections under ultrasound guidance in the period under review. Six @entity1 reported 50% @entity158 relief or more (responders) while three @entity1 did not. @entity158 and BPI scores showed a decreasing trend in responders. The median duration of follow-up was 12 weeks. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound can reliably be used for infiltration of the abdominal cutaneous nerves. This will improve the safety as well as diagnostic utility of the procedure.
