Short-term assessment of periradicular corticosteroid injections in lumbar radiculopathy associated with disc pathology

We evaluated periradicular injection of corticosteroids performed by neuroradiologists under fluoroscopic guidance in the treatment of lumbosacral nerve root pain in 40 patients (average age 48 years) presenting with lumbosciatica or radiculopathy not responding to conservative treatment. Patients with root pain due to infectious, neoplastic or inflammatory diseases were excluded, as were patients who needed immediate surgery. Pain was evaluated using a visual analogue scale (VAS) 10 and 90 days after the injection. After 10 days a substantial decrease in root pain was observed, with a statistically significant decrease in mean VAS. This decrease was observed in 90 % of patients, and it persisted after 90 days in 85 %. Side effects were rare, mild and disappeared spontaneously. They were related to the drug injected (corticosteroids).