Ganglioneuritis
Ganglioneuritis is a severe neurological disease in which inflammatory processes affect the ganglion and associated nerve trunks (peripheral nerves and nerve sensitive nodes). The second name of this disease is ganglionitis. Inflammation may spread not to one sympathetic node, but to several at once (polyanglionitis or truncitis). Sometimes the inflammation of the sympathetic nodes occurs in combination with the inflammatory process in the spinal nerve fibers. In this case, ganglioneuritis is differentiated as ganglioradiculitis.
The content of the article:
Causes of ganglioneuritis
Common symptoms of ganglioneuritis
Symptoms of certain types of ganglioneuritis
Diagnosis of ganglioneuritis
Treatment of ganglioneuritis
Ganglioneuritis
In some cases, the inflammatory process affects nerve nodes, which include nerve fibers of various types — parasympathetic, sympathetic, sensitive. The most common of them are ganglioneuritis of the cranial node and ganglionitis of the pterygoid node. And in the process of progression of the disease, different ganglia can be affected.
Based on this, the disease is divided into several types:
sacral;
cervical (lower-neck, upper-neck, stellate);
thoracic;
lumbar.
Causes of ganglioneuritis
The very first cause of this disease is an infectious process. Pathogens can serve as:
acute infections: measles, dysentery, sepsis, diphtheria, sore throat or flu;
chronic infectious diseases (syphilis, tuberculosis, rheumatism).
The cause of ganglioneuritis of the wing node can be complicated dental caries, and adnexitis or prostatitis (in men) can provoke sacral ganglionitis. In rare cases, ganglioneuritis can be triggered by a tumor (ganglioneuroma or secondary metastatic process), then the disease has a toxic nature.
Risk factors in the occurrence of ganglioneuritis will be nervous overstrain, hypothermia, constant fatigue, alcohol dependence, operations that were performed in the ganglia area.
Common symptoms of ganglioneuritis
The symptoms of ganglioneuritis depend on the level of the lesion, it has a complex clinical picture. Pain syndrome will be the main feature in the clinical picture. The pain is characterized by a strong burning sensation and bursting character, patients also note a feeling of pulsation.
Patients often cannot accurately indicate the source of pain, because the disease is diffuse. Patients describe pain in the entire half of the body, focusing on the fact that pain sensations are constant and do not change during movement. Increased pain occurs in the event of a change in the weather, the transfer of stressful situations, after eating.
In addition to the pain syndrome with ganglioneuritis, there is also a loss or partial violation of sensitivity in the form of hyperesthesia (increased sensitivity) or vice versa hypesthesia (decreased sensitivity). Sometimes paresthesia is also noted (a feeling of numbness, a feeling of “goosebumps”, tingling or lethargy).
There are cases of neurotrophic and vasomotor disorders, which are expressed in the localization of the affected ganglion and nerve fibers combined with it. If the disease is of a long-term nature, there may be sleep disturbance, emotional instability, the development of neurasthenia, asthenia, hypochondriac syndrome.
Symptoms of certain types of ganglioneuritis
Localization of the inflammatory process determines the degree of complexity of the disease. The classification of ganglioneuritis depends on the group of affected sympathetic ganglia.
Ganglioneuritis of the upper cervical node
The clinical picture of ganglioneuritis of the upper cervical node is characterized, first of all, by the symptoms of Bernard-Horner syndrome. The inflammatory process in this ganglion provokes the development of the Purfur du Petit syndrome (enlargement of the eye slit, exophthalmos). The inflammatory process affects the functionality of the thyroid gland and excites the appearance of hyperthyroidism. There are secretory and vasomotor disorders (hyperhidrosis, redness in half of the face, decreased intraocular pressure). Sensitivity disorders are observed in the area of the second rib. It is possible to change the voice or laryngeal paresis. Sometimes patients feel a strong pain syndrome spreading to the jaw area. Due to the inability to specify the exact source of pain, people often mistakenly resort to dental treatment, which for known reasons does not give any results.
Ganglioneuritis of the lower cervical node
With this type of ganglioneuritis, a more extensive sensitivity disorder is observed (extends to the sixth rib and to the arm). When the arm is affected, there is a decrease in muscle tone, a change in skin color on the surface of the entire arm or on the fingertips. There is also a violation of reflexes — correal, conjunctival, maxillary, pharyngeal, carporadial. Sometimes there is a decrease in the auricle from the affected node.
Ganglioneuritis of the stellate node
The clinical picture is characterized by the presence of pain in half of the chest on the side of the inflamed node. Disorders of sensitivity and motor reflexes are observed in the fingers of the hand. Especially noticeable is the violation of motor skills in the fifth finger of the hand located in the affected area. The area of pain, loss or impaired sensitivity has a so-called “half-jacket” appearance. Often the pain spreads to the chest area, therefore it resembles angina attacks and should be differentiated from coronary heart disease.
Ganglioneuritis of the upper thoracic sympathetic nodes
This type of ganglioneuritis manifests itself in the form of pain syndrome and sensitivity disorders, as in previous cases. But the characteristic difference will be disorders of the vegetative-visceral system. There is shortness of breath, symptoms similar to the clinical picture in coronary heart disease.
Sacral ganglioneuritis
Pain syndrome is characteristic.Symptoms may be accompanied by itching of the genitals, often diagnosed as a gynecological disease. Women sometimes have menstrual irregularities or uterine bleeding.
Ganglioneuritis of the wing node
The inflammatory process occurs in the wing node, so there are neuralgic symptoms of inflammation of the second branch of the trigeminal nerve (near the bridge of the nose and upper jaw). In the clinical picture, there is hyperemia of the affected part of the face, secretion from the nose (in the affected half) and lacrimation from the eye.
Ganglioneuritis of the cranial node
There is a pain syndrome in the ear, seizures and pain spreading to the occipital region, the cervical-facial area. Paresis or neuritis of the facial nerve with facial expression disorders may be observed on the affected part of the body.
Diagnosis of ganglioneuritis
Diagnosis of ganglioneuritis is a complex process, since the symptoms of the clinical picture are similar to a number of other diseases (otitis media, coronary heart disease, oncological formations, spinal formations, circulatory disorders, different types of neurosis, etc.). The difficulty also lies in determining the variation of ganglioneuritis, since the symptoms of its various types are very similar. Untimely or incorrect diagnosis can significantly worsen the patient’s condition, slow down the treatment process and, accordingly, lead to disappointing prognoses.
If at least some of the above symptoms appear, you need to consult a neurologist. The initial diagnosis of ganglioneuritis usually occurs on the basis of an analysis of the clinical picture from the words of the patient and examination of the patient, revealing signs of vasomotor and neurotrophic disorders, sensitivity disorders.
Hardware diagnostics of ganglioneuritis
Thoracic and sacral ganglioneuritis is particularly difficult to differentiate and for the accuracy of the diagnosis, the patient undergoes a long examination for the presence of somatic diseases. For this purpose, consultations of a gynecologist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist, phthisiologist are appointed. In order to exclude a number of diseases, radiography of the spine, electromyography, MRI and CT can be prescribed.
The inflammatory process often causes changes in somatic organs, so the patient undergoes MSCT or ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, genitals, prostate in order to identify these pathologies.
Treatment of ganglioneuritis
In the treatment of ganglionitis, anti-allergenic drugs are prescribed, a course of treatment with antibiotics is attributed (if the etiology of ganglioneuritis is bacterial in nature).
Analgesics are indicated to relieve pain. In some cases, with severe pain syndrome and ineffectiveness of analgesics, novocaine is administered intravenously or paravertebral blockages with novocaine are carried out in the affected area or sympathectomy is performed (surgical removal of the affected ganglion, which is used in case of ineffectiveness of any of the methods of pain relief).
Depending on the nature of the disease, anti-infective therapy may be prescribed. With the viral etiology of the disease, antiviral drugs and gamma globulin are prescribed. If the sympathetic system is affected, cholinomimetic drugs, gluconate and calcium chloride can be prescribed.
For the treatment of this disease, physiotherapy is widely used, which sets itself the task of relieving pain and the inflammatory process, correcting disorders of the autonomic system. Pain relief occurs with the help of transcranial electroanalgesia, drug electrophoresis of anesthetics. The relief of intoxication is carried out by low-intensity UHF therapy. Antiviral methods consist in the patient undergoing CUF irradiation, etc. To restore the peripheral functions of the body, darsonvalization procedures, mustard and turpentine baths are attributed. Allergic reactions that occur are eliminated with the help of antiallergic procedures — local aerosol therapy with the use of antihistamines, nitrogen baths.
With proper diagnosis and adequate treatment, the prognosis is favorable for life.
Prevention of ganglioneuritis consists in the timely treatment of all kinds of inflammatory processes in the body, viral and infectious diseases. Sports are very important. Proper nutrition, long walks in the fresh air, quitting smoking and alcohol are the best guarantors of health.
