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Updated: Aug 11, 2025

Author Spotlight: Minimally Invasive Relief for Occipital Neuralgia at the Nuchal Line
Published on: September 13, 2024
A case of glossopharyngeal neuralgia successfully treated with levetiracetam
Hiroyuki Nishie1, Yuka Sakuta2, Hideki Nakatsuka2
1Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School Hospital, 577, Matsushima, Kurashiki, Okayama, 701-0192, Japan. nishiehiroyuki@med.kawasaki-m.ac.jp.
Background:
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is a condition that causes severe pain in the throat during swallowing. Although carbamazepine is a viable option for treating glossopharyngeal neuralgia, there are minimal data regarding the effect of alternative agents to treat it. We report on glossopharyngeal neuralgia, which is successfully controlled by levetiracetam.
Presentation:
A woman in her 70s checked into our hospital with a chief complaint of neck pain lasting 5 years. She had a history of carbamazepine-induced interstitial pneumonia. As a result, we prescribed oral levetiracetam 1000 mg daily in addition to mirogabalin, which was previously prescribed. This effectively reduced the numerical rating scale from 9 to 1 with no adverse effects. Finally, she underwent microvascular decompression, and her symptoms were resolved.
Conclusion:
Levetiracetam may be an option for patients with glossopharyngeal neuralgia who cannot receive carbamazepine. However, levetiracetam is for off-label use according to the Japanese medical system.
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