查看文章

Glossopharyngeal nerve (GPN) blocks are usually performed by topical, intraoral, or peristyloid approaches, which carry significant complication risks due to the proximity of important neurovascular structures. This study presents a proof of concept for a new ultrasound (US)–guided technique, which would block the GPN distally, in the parapharyngeal space, away from the immediate vicinity of high-risk collateral structures.

Five cadaver heads were dissected, and the location of the GPN was explored bilaterally. In 40 healthy volunteers (20 men and 20 women; median age, 35.5 years [range, 24–69 years]) parapharyngeal sonograms were obtained, saved, and analyzed. To assess the technical feasibility of a distal GPN block in the parapharyngeal space, unilateral US-guided dye injections were performed in 3 fresh cadavers, followed by dissections.

The GPN was …