Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33840060›Full record

ArticlePain and therapy2021

Ultrasound-Guided Continuous Thoracic Paravertebral Infusion of Methylene Blue in the Treatment of Postherpetic Neuralgia: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Study.

Mingxia Wang, Jinyuan Zhang, Li Zheng, Hongwei Fang, Yiguo Zhang, Huimin Deng, Mansi Wang, Xiuqin Yu, Qingxiang Meng, Yuanli Chen and 4 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Pain and therapy, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. [Adjunctive agents for nerve blocks/local injections in the treatment of zoster-associated pain: A systematic review based on levels of evidence].Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · 2026
    Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Mingxia Wang *Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 150 Jimo Rd, Shanghai, 200120, China.
Jinyuan Zhang *Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 150 Jimo Rd, Shanghai, 200120, China.
Li Zheng *Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 507 Zhengmin Rd, Shanghai, 200433, China.
Hongwei FangDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 150 Jimo Rd, Shanghai, 200120, China.
Yiguo ZhangDepartment of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 507 Zhengmin Rd, Shanghai, 200433, China.
Huimin DengDepartment of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 507 Zhengmin Rd, Shanghai, 200433, China.
Mansi WangDepartment of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 507 Zhengmin Rd, Shanghai, 200433, China.
Xiuqin YuDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 150 Jimo Rd, Shanghai, 200120, China.
Qingxiang MengDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 150 Jimo Rd, Shanghai, 200120, China.
Yuanli ChenDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 150 Jimo Rd, Shanghai, 200120, China.
Lijun LiaoDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 150 Jimo Rd, Shanghai, 200120, China.
Xin LvDepartment of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 507 Zhengmin Rd, Shanghai, 200433, China.
Hao YangDepartment of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 507 Zhengmin Rd, Shanghai, 200433, China. yanghaozunyi@sina.com.
Xiangrui WangDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 150 Jimo Rd, Shanghai, 200120, China. wangxiangruirjyy@sina.com.
Shanghai East Hospital · CNShanghai Pulmonary Hospital · CNTongji University · CN

Funding

Discipline Leader Training Program of Health and Family Planning Commission of Pudong New Area PWRd2020-06National Natural Science Foundation of China 81871601National Natural Science Foundation of China 82000085Shanghai Pujiang Talent Program 2020PJD050the Basic Research Program for Young Elite Scientist by Shanghai Association for the Study of Pain 2018SASP01the Research Program for Young Scientist by Shanghai Society of Anesthesiology 2019SSAthe Young Elite Scientist Sponsorship Program by CAST 2018QNRC001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionPostherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most common complication of herpes zoster. Methylene blue (MB) is an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthesis with potentially analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Studies have demonstrated that thoracic paravertebral single MB injection is effective in treating chronic pain. However, there are rare reports of the efficacy of continuous thoracic paravertebral infusion of MB for pain management in PHN patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of continuous thoracic paravertebral infusion of MB on PHN.

methodsA total of 104 PHN patients were randomly divided into two groups: the control group (continuous thoracic paravertebral infusion of 5% lidocaine in a total volume of 300 ml) and the MB group (continuous thoracic paravertebral infusion of 5% lidocaine plus 0.2% MB in a total volume of 300 ml). All patients were evaluated using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), and medication doses before and after the procedure. The effective treatment rate and adverse complications were recorded 6 months after the procedure.

resultsIn both groups, the NRS scores, ISI scores, PHQ-9 scores, and rescue medication dosages were significantly decreased at different time points after treatment compared to baseline, while the SF-36 scores were evidently improved at different time points after treatment compared to baseline. Compared with the control group, the MB group had significantly reduced NRS scores, ISI scores, PHQ-9 scores, and rescue medication dosages at each observation time point. Furthermore, the SF-36 scores in the MB group were significantly higher than those in the control group at each observation time point. The total effective treatment rate of the MB group was higher than that of the control group 6 months after the procedure. No severe adverse complications were observed in either group.

conclusionsUltrasound-guided continuous thoracic paravertebral infusion with MB is a safe and effective therapy for PHN. Continuous infusion with MB can significantly reduce pain intensity, improve pain-related depression, increase quality of life, and decrease the amount of rescue medicine with no serious adverse complications.

Indexed as

Methylene bluePainPostherpetic neuralgiaThoracic paravertebral infusionUltrasound guidance

Identifiers

PMID33840060
PMCPMC8119597
OpenAlexW3153482844

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.