Clinical outcomes of thoracic interlaminar epidural steroid injections for chronic thoracic pain in a postherpetic neuralgia-predominant cohort: a retrospective single-center study

Şükriye Dadalı; Mustafa Cem Yılmaz; Ali Çoştu; Ülkü Sabuncu; Gülçin Babaoğlu; Nevcihan Şahutoğlu Bal; Tolga Kaplan; Erkan Yavuz Akçaboy

Clinical outcomes of thoracic interlaminar epidural steroid injections for chronic thoracic pain in a postherpetic neuralgia-predominant cohort: a retrospective single-center study

Abstract

Aims: To evaluate clinical outcomes, patient-reported global improvement, and documented adverse events associated with thoracic interlaminar epidural steroid injections in a real-world cohort with chronic thoracic pain, predominantly postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Methods: This retrospective single-center study included consecutive adults who underwent thoracic interlaminar epidural steroid injection between January 2022 and December 2025. Pain intensity was assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) at baseline and at 1 and 6 months. Global Perceived Effect (GPE), ≥30% and ≥50% NRS responder rates, repeat injections, and documented adverse events were evaluated. Limited missing follow-up information was completed by telephone in five patients under the ethics-approved protocol. Changes in NRS were analyzed using the Friedman test with Bonferroni-adjusted Wilcoxon signed-rank comparisons. Results: Forty-one patients were included; PHN was the predominant etiology (24/41, 58.5%). Median NRS decreased from 7.0 (IQR, 1.0; range, 6-9) at baseline to 3.0 (IQR, 4.0; range, 0-8) at 1 month and 1.0 (IQR, 3.5; range, 0-7) at 6 months (overall p<0.001). At 6 months, 34 patients (82.9%; 95% CI, 68.7%-91.5%) achieved ≥30% NRS reduction and 33 (80.5%; 95% CI, 66.0% 89.8%) achieved ≥50% reduction. GPE scores of 6-7 were reported by 22 patients (53.7%; 95% CI, 38.7%-67.9%). Ten patients (24.4%) received a second injection between months 1 and 3. Three transient adverse events (7.3%) were documented (two cases of local pain and one transient blood-pressure elevation), with no serious adverse events. In descriptive subgroup analyses, 20/24 patients (83.3%) with PHN and 13/17 (76.5%) without PHN achieved at least 50% NRS reduction at 6 months. Conclusion: Thoracic interlaminar epidural steroid injection was associated with clinically meaningful improvement during 6-month follow-up in this PHN-predominant real-world cohort. Because the study was retrospective and uncontrolled and repeat injections occurred in one-quarter of patients, the findings describe outcomes associated with the treatment strategy rather than causal efficacy of a single injection. Prospective controlled studies are warranted.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

N/A

Project Number

N/A

Ethical Statement

This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of Ankara Bilkent City Hospital (Approval No: TABED 1-26-2184; Approval Date: March 11, 2026). Owing to the retrospective design of the study, the requirement for individual informed consent was waived by the Ethics Committee.

Thanks

None

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Anaesthesiology

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Şükriye Dadalı ^*
0000-0003-4204-4530
Türkiye

Mustafa Cem Yılmaz
0000-0003-1077-3544
Türkiye

Ali Çoştu
0000-0003-4383-0146
Türkiye

Ülkü Sabuncu
0000-0002-9031-2088
Türkiye

Gülçin Babaoğlu
0000-0002-1461-4092
Türkiye

Nevcihan Şahutoğlu Bal
0000-0002-8056-4177
Türkiye

Tolga Kaplan
0000-0001-9289-407X
Türkiye

Erkan Yavuz Akçaboy
0000-0002-9962-2090
Türkiye

Publication Date

October 25, 2026

Submission Date

August 3, 2026

Acceptance Date

September 19, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 8 Number: 6

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA66BJ38ND

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Dadalı, Ş., Yılmaz, M. C., Çoştu, A., Sabuncu, Ü., Babaoğlu, G., Şahutoğlu Bal, N., Kaplan, T., & Akçaboy, E. Y. (2026). Clinical outcomes of thoracic interlaminar epidural steroid injections for chronic thoracic pain in a postherpetic neuralgia-predominant cohort: a retrospective single-center study. Anatolian Current Medical Journal, 8(6), 1317-1323. https://izlik.org/JA66BJ38ND

AMA

1.Dadalı Ş, Yılmaz MC, Çoştu A, et al. Clinical outcomes of thoracic interlaminar epidural steroid injections for chronic thoracic pain in a postherpetic neuralgia-predominant cohort: a retrospective single-center study. Anatolian Curr Med J / ACMJ / acmj. 2026;8(6):1317-1323. https://izlik.org/JA66BJ38ND

Chicago

Dadalı, Şükriye, Mustafa Cem Yılmaz, Ali Çoştu, et al. 2026. “Clinical Outcomes of Thoracic Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injections for Chronic Thoracic Pain in a Postherpetic Neuralgia-Predominant Cohort: A Retrospective Single-Center Study”. Anatolian Current Medical Journal 8 (6): 1317-23. https://izlik.org/JA66BJ38ND.

EndNote

Dadalı Ş, Yılmaz MC, Çoştu A, Sabuncu Ü, Babaoğlu G, Şahutoğlu Bal N, Kaplan T, Akçaboy EY (October 1, 2026) Clinical outcomes of thoracic interlaminar epidural steroid injections for chronic thoracic pain in a postherpetic neuralgia-predominant cohort: a retrospective single-center study. Anatolian Current Medical Journal 8 6 1317–1323.

IEEE

[1]Ş. Dadalı et al., “Clinical outcomes of thoracic interlaminar epidural steroid injections for chronic thoracic pain in a postherpetic neuralgia-predominant cohort: a retrospective single-center study”, Anatolian Curr Med J / ACMJ / acmj, vol. 8, no. 6, pp. 1317–1323, Oct. 2026, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA66BJ38ND

ISNAD

Dadalı, Şükriye - Yılmaz, Mustafa Cem - Çoştu, Ali - Sabuncu, Ülkü - Babaoğlu, Gülçin - Şahutoğlu Bal, Nevcihan - Kaplan, Tolga - Akçaboy, Erkan Yavuz. “Clinical Outcomes of Thoracic Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injections for Chronic Thoracic Pain in a Postherpetic Neuralgia-Predominant Cohort: A Retrospective Single-Center Study”. Anatolian Current Medical Journal 8/6 (October 1, 2026): 1317-1323. https://izlik.org/JA66BJ38ND.

JAMA

1.Dadalı Ş, Yılmaz MC, Çoştu A, Sabuncu Ü, Babaoğlu G, Şahutoğlu Bal N, Kaplan T, Akçaboy EY. Clinical outcomes of thoracic interlaminar epidural steroid injections for chronic thoracic pain in a postherpetic neuralgia-predominant cohort: a retrospective single-center study. Anatolian Curr Med J / ACMJ / acmj. 2026;8:1317–1323.

MLA

Dadalı, Şükriye, et al. “Clinical Outcomes of Thoracic Interlaminar Epidural Steroid Injections for Chronic Thoracic Pain in a Postherpetic Neuralgia-Predominant Cohort: A Retrospective Single-Center Study”. Anatolian Current Medical Journal, vol. 8, no. 6, Oct. 2026, pp. 1317-23, https://izlik.org/JA66BJ38ND.

Vancouver

1.Şükriye Dadalı, Mustafa Cem Yılmaz, Ali Çoştu, Ülkü Sabuncu, Gülçin Babaoğlu, Nevcihan Şahutoğlu Bal, Tolga Kaplan, Erkan Yavuz Akçaboy. Clinical outcomes of thoracic interlaminar epidural steroid injections for chronic thoracic pain in a postherpetic neuralgia-predominant cohort: a retrospective single-center study. Anatolian Curr Med J / ACMJ / acmj [Internet]. 2026 Oct. 1;8(6):1317-23. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA66BJ38ND