Glossopharyngeal neuralgia with syncope as a sign of neck cancer recurrence

CORRESPONDENCE CORRESPONDÊNCIA

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia with syncope as a sign of neck cancer recurrence

TO THE EDITOR

I have read the article (case report) "Glossopharyngeal neuralgia with syncope as a sign of neck cancer recurrence" by Reinaldo Teixeira Ribeiro et al.¹, and found it extremely interesting. I would like to give a historical contribution; not regarding the rare relationship between glossopharyngeal neuralgia with syncope and neck cancer, because authors approached this very well, but in respect to the following citation in the first paragraph of the discussion: "Among the Brazilian cases of classical glossopharyngeal neuralgia previously reported..." Here, the authors missed an opportunity to include Professor Pedro Sampaio's fundamental work on this issue.

The first and most important study in Brazil concerning glossopharyngeal neuralgia was made by Professor Pedro Sampaio when he made his Livre Docência Thesis to Universidade do Brasil in 1954, and published his results that same year in the Jornal Brasileiro de Neurologia².

Pedro Sampaio made an extensive clinical study describing ten cases of glossopharyngeal neuralgia, experimental research utilizing eight dogs, and a broad bibliographic review. In respect to two of his patients; one with glossopharyngeal neuralgia and fainting sensations (case 9) and the other with concomitant tonic-clonic seizures (case 10), he created the term "neuralgia sinocarotidea" to denominated the algic form localized in the posterior third of the tongue, superior part of the pharingeus, tonsils, with irradiation to the ears, and syncopal and convulsive states which disappears after the neurectomy. The importance of his work acquired international recognition in 1985, when, after his lecture about this theme in the Facial Neuralgia Session in the VI World Congress of Neurosurgery Society in Toronto, the head of the session, Dr. William Scoville, publicly stated that due to the excellence and magnitude of Professor Pedro Sampaio's work, the "sino-carotídeo" form of glossopharingeal neuralgia would be known as "Sampaio's Syndrome".

REFERENCES

1. Ribeiro RT, Souza NA, Carvalho DS. Glossopharyngeal neuralgia with syncope as a sign of neck cancer recurrence. Arq. Neuropsiquiatr 2007; 65:1233-1236.

2. Sampaio P. Contribuição ao estudo do nervo glossofaríngeo. J Brasil Neurol 1954;6:143-199.

Péricles Maranhão-Filho

Professor Adjunto de Neurologia da UFRJ

Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil

[e-mail]

AUTHORS' REPLY

Dear Dr. Péricles Maranhão-Filho, we appreciate your interest in our article and welcome your historical contribution. Professor Pedro Sampaio was one of the pioneers of neurological surgery in Rio de Janeiro, where he organized the neurosurgery service of the Pedro Ernesto Hospital¹. His Livre Docência Thesis was published in 1954 and brought a great contribution to the study of the glossopharyngeal nerve and its classical neuralgia². Since articles published prior to 1966 are not regularly indexed, investigators have difficulties to reach them. However, the importance of Professor Pedro Sampaio's work should not be forgotten for the lack of indexation. We are very grateful for your historical amendment to our article.

REFERENCES

1. Gusmao S.S. History of neurosurgery in Rio de Janeiro. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2002;60:333-337.

2. Sampaio P. Contribuição ao estudo do nervo glossofaríngeo. J Brasil Neurol 1954;6:143-199.

Reinaldo Teixeira Ribeiro

Resident Physician

Department of Neurology, UNIFESP

São Paulo, SP, Brazil

[e-mail]

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  28 Mar 2008
• Date of issue
  Mar 2008