Options in Treating Trigeminal Neuralgia: Experience With 195 Patients.

Publication/Presentation Date

10-1-2016

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: For patients with medically unresponsive trigeminal neuralgia (TN), surgical options include microvascular decompression (MVD), radiofrequency rhizotomy (RF), and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). In an attempt to identify the risks and benefits and cost inherent with each of the three modalities, we performed a retrospective review of our experience with 195 cases of TN treated over the past 15 years.

METHODS: Since 2001, 195 patients with previously untreated TN were managed: with MVD in 79, RF in 36, and SRS in 80. All patients reported herein underwent preoperative MRI. Women outnumbered men 122/73 (p=0.045). Follow-up after surgery was 32±46months.

RESULTS: The patients qualifying for MVD were generally healthier and younger, with a mean age±SD of 57±14, compared to those undergoing RF (75±15) or SRS (73±13, p

CONCLUSION: MVD for TN is the treatment least likely to fail or require additional treatment. Patients who underwent MVD were younger than those undergoing RF or SRS. The highest rate of recurrence of TN was encountered in patients undergoing RF (64%). Facial numbness was least likely to occur with MVD (16%) compared to RF and SRS (50% and 36% respectively).

Volume

149

First Page

166

Last Page

170

ISSN

1872-6968

Disciplines

Medical Sciences | Medicine and Health Sciences | Neurology

PubMedID

27556293

Department(s)

Department of Medicine

Document Type

Article

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