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Objective To investigate the changes of the regional homogeneity(ReHo)values of spontaneous brain activity in patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN).Methods Left ITN (LITN)group (n=23)and the healthy control (HC)group (n=33)underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI)scans.The changes of ReHo values between the two groups were compared.Results Compared with HC group,LITN group yielded increased ReHo values in bilateral nucleus accumbens,bilateral caudate nucleus,right putamen, right precentral gyrus (M1),right supplementary motor area (SMA)and right anterior insula (P<0.01).Conclusion The rs-fMRI shows abnormal ReHo values of brain activity in several regions in ITN patients.The regions are related to pain processing-motion,emotion and endogenous regulation.The suggest that brain involves the developing and regulating mechanism of ITN as an importment factor.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the treatment effect of acupuncture on patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN) by case-control longitudinal blinded study.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty ITN patients and 30 healthy subjects were included. The ITN patients were randomly assigned to acupuncture group (15 cases), sham-acupuncture group (15 cases) and carbamazepine group (30 cases), respectively. Clinical orofacial evaluation (including pain intensity and medication doses), research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (RDC/TMD) and Helkimo indexes (for functional evaluation of the masticatory system), and quantitative sensory testing for sensory thresholds (gustative, olfactory, cold, warm, touch, vibration and superficial and deep pain) were evaluated before treatment, immediately after treatment, and 6 months after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mean pain intensity by the Visual Analogue Scale only decreased in the acupuncture group at the last evaluation (P=0.012). Patients in the sham-acupuncture group had an increase in carbamazepine doses according to the prescriptions (P<0.01). There was a reduction in secondary myofascial pain and mandibular limitations at the acupuncture and sham-acupuncture groups, however only the acupuncture group kept the changes after 6 months (P<0.01, P=0.023). There was a decrease in mechanical thresholds in the acupuncture group (tactile, P<0.01; vibration, P=0.027) and an increase in deep pain thresholds in both acupuncture and sham-acupuncture groups (P=0.013).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Acupuncture can be an option in the treatment of ITN due to its analgesic effect in both ITN and secondary myofascial pain associated with it.</p>
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ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN) is a common pain disease in elderly people. Many methods have been used to alleviate the pain of patients, but few studies in the literature have compared the effect of nerve combing and percutaneous radiofrequency thermocoagulation. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate the clinical outcome of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia after nerve combing (NC) and compare them with those obtained using percutaneous radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RF). METHODS: The study included 105 idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia patients with similar symptom, age and underlying disease, which were divided into two groups. One group was treated by nerve combing (50 patients), the other by RF (55 cases). All patients were considered medical failures prior to the surgeries. A questionnaire was used to assess the long-term outcomes: pain relief, recurrence, complication and need for additional treatment. RESULTS: The median duration of follow-up in both groups was 90 months. Satisfactory relief was noted in 41 patients (82%), 5 patients (10%) initially experienced pain relief, then recurred, and four patients (8%) were designated poor among the group NC. In the group RF, satisfactory relief was noted in 42 patients (76.4%). There were eight "pain free with recurrence patients (14.5%) and 5 poor cases (9.1%). No statistically significant differences existed in the outcomes between both groups (p > 0.05). Postoperative morbidity included dysesthesia, diplopia, partial facial nerve palsy, hearing loss, tinnitus, cerebrospinal fluid leak, meningitis and mortality. CONCLUSION: Nerve combing and RF are both satisfactory treatment strategies for patients with ITN. Because of the higher risk of sensory morbidity and surgical risk as open surgery, RF is preferred as the recommended procedure for patients with ITN.
Resumo Introdução: A neuralgia idiopática do trigêmeo (NIT) é uma condição dolorosa comum em idosos. Muitos métodos têm sido usados para aliviar a dor dos pacientes, mas poucos estudos na literatura compararam o efeito de neurólise interna e termocoagulação percutânea por radiofrequência. Objetivo: O objetivo desse estudo foi descrever e avaliar o desfecho clínico de pacientes com neuralgia idiopática do trigêmeo após neurólise interna (NI) e compará-los com os obtidos usando termocoagulação percutânea por radiofrequência (RF). Método: O estudo incluiu 105 pacientes com NIT com sintomas, idade e doenças de base semelhantes, que foram divididos em dois grupos. Um grupo foi tratado por neurólise interna (50 pacientes) e o outro por RF (55 casos). Todos os pacientes haviam sido considerados fracassos terapêuticos antes das cirurgias. Um questionário foi utilizado para avaliar os resultados a longo prazo: alívio da dor, recorrência, complicações e necessidade de tratamento adicional. Resultados: A duração média do acompanhamento foi de 90 meses em ambos os grupos. Alívio satisfatório foi observado em 41 pacientes (82%); cinco pacientes (10%) experimentaram alívio inicial da dor, porém seguido de recrudescimento, e quatro pacientes (8%) apresentaram desfecho desfavorável no grupo NI. No grupo de RF, alívio satisfatório foi observado em 42 pacientes (76,4%). Houve oito pacientes livres de dor, com recorrência ''LDR'' (14,5%) e cinco casos com desfecho desfavorável (9,1%). Não houve diferenças significantes nos resultados entre os dois grupos (p > 0,05). Morbidade pós-operatória incluiu disestesia, diplopia, paralisia parcial do nervo facial, perda auditiva, tinnitus, fístula liquórica, meningite e óbito. Conclusão: Neurólise interna e RF são estratégias satisfatórias de tratamento para os pacientes com NIT. Em decorrência da maior morbidade sensorial e maior risco cirúrgico em uma cirurgia aberta, a RF é o procedimento mais indicado para pacientes com NIT.
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Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Middle Aged , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Trigeminal Nerve/surgery , Trigeminal Neuralgia/therapy , Electrocoagulation , Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment , Trigeminal Neuralgia/surgery , Pain Measurement , Retrospective Studies , Follow-Up Studies , Treatment Outcome , Decompression, Surgical , CraniotomyABSTRACT
Objective To explore the efficacy of microvascular decompression (MVD)on trigeminal neuralgia and the anatomical characteristics of the responsible blood vessels.Methods The clinical data of 25patients with idiopathic trigemine neuralgia(ITN) undergoing MVD were analyzed retrospectively.The origins of the responsible blood vessels and sites of compression at the trigeminal root were observed and determined.Meanwhile,the anatomical characteristics of the responsible blood vessels and the efficacy of MVD were investigated.Results The offending vessels which were responsible for ITN were identified at root exit zone (REZ) in 21 cases (84％).The most common responsible vessel was the superior cerebellar artery in 13 cases (52％),followed by anterior inferior cerebellar artery in 6 cases (24％).Seventy six percent of the offending vessels were arteries and 8％ were rock vein.No vascular compression but evident increase in the thickness of arachnoid mater covered by the trigeminal nerve was observed in 4 cases ( 16％ ).All patients were relieved for the acute pain and the overall cure rate was 96％.Conclusion MVD is a safe,microinvasive and effective surgical modality for ITN.The key for better outcomes and less complications of MVD is to improve microsurgical techniques and deal with all the involved vessels.
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OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to compare the efficacy of micro-vascular decompression (MVD) and Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for elderly idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia patients by analyzing the clinical outcome. METHODS: In the past 10 years, 27 elderly patients were treated with MVD while 18 patients were treated with GKRS (>65-years-old). We reviewed their clinical characteristics and clinical courses after treatment as well as the treatment outcomes. For patients who were treated with MVD, additional treatment methods such as rhizotomy were combined in some areas. In GKRS, we radiated the root entry zone (REZ) with the mean maximum dose of 77.8 (70-84.3) Gy and one 4 mm collimator. RESULTS: The mean age was 68.1 years for MVD, and 71.1 years for GKS group. The average time interval between first presenting symptom and surgery was 84.1 (1-361) months, and 51.4 (1-120) months, respectively. The mean follow-up period after the surgery was 35.9 months for MVD, and 33.1 months for GKRS. According to Pain Intensity Scale, MVD group showed better prognosis with 17 (63%) cases in grade I-II versus 10 (55.6%) cases in GKRS group after the treatment. The pain recurrence rate during follow up did not show much difference with 3 (11.1%) in MVD, and 2 (11.1%) in GKRS. After the treatment, 2 cases of facial numbness, and 1 case each of herpes zoster, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage, hearing disturbance, and subdural hematoma occurred in MVD Group. In GKRS, there was 1 (5.6%) case of dysesthesia but was not permanent. Three cases were retreated by GKRS but the prognosis was not as good as when the surgery was used as primary treatment, with 1 case of grade I-II, and 1 case of recurrence. The maximal relieve of pain was seen just after surgery in MVD group, and 1 year after treatment in GKRS group. CONCLUSION: For trigeminal neuralgia patients with advanced age, MVD showed advantages in immediately relieving the pain. However, in overall, GKRS was preferable, despite the delayed pain relief, due to the lower rate of surgical complications that arise owing to the old age.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Decompression , Follow-Up Studies , Hearing , Hematoma, Subdural , Herpes Zoster , Hypesthesia , Paresthesia , Prognosis , Radiosurgery , Recurrence , Rhizotomy , Treatment Outcome , Trigeminal NeuralgiaABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to review the surgical results of 19 patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia treated by percutaneous ballooning compression(PBC) of trigeminal gasserian ganglion under brief general anesthesia. METHODS: The mean patient age was 63.5 years(range, 27-78). The mean follow-up period was 24 months(range, 1-46). Three patients had already undergone radiofreqnency trigeminal rhizotomy and two patients had previously microvascular decompression. The balloon was inflated by injecting radio-contrast media 0.7-1cc in amount. The mean inflating time is 81 seconds(range, 60-90). RESULTS: During the procedure, brief intraoperative bradycardia and hypotension were noted in seven cases(36.7%). All patients had immediate relief of pain except 1 case. 18 cases(94.5%) of patients were satisfied or very satisfied with their pain relief. There were immediate, mild to moderate sensory complication of hypesthesia, dysesthesia or paraesthesia in all cases and the immediate motor complication-difficulty of mastication in 3 cases, transient 6th nerve palsy in 2 cases. The immediate motor and sensory complications disappeared or much improved after 3-4 months. CONCLUSION: It is the simple technique that can be performed effectively in a brief period of general anesthesia. This procedure might be one of attractive methods in the treatment of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia.
Subject(s)
Humans , Abducens Nerve Diseases , Anesthesia, General , Bradycardia , Follow-Up Studies , Hypesthesia , Hypotension , Mastication , Microvascular Decompression Surgery , Paresthesia , Rhizotomy , Trigeminal Ganglion , Trigeminal NeuralgiaABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of gamma knife for the treatment of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia Methods An analysis of 87 cases with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia treated by gamma knife in our department in the past 5 years was performed In all cases, 4 mm isocenter was targeted at the proximal nerve at the root entry zone located by MRI The target dose varied from 70-90 Gy Results After a follow up of 6-67 months, complete relief of pain occurred in 66 patients (75 9%), 50%-90% relief in 18(20 7%), relief less than 50% in 2(2 3%) but no relief in 1(1 1%) Repeated radiosurgery was performed in 2 patients (2 3%) with recurrent pain After the second radiosurgical procedure, complete relief of pain was found in the 2 patients Two patients(2 3%) experienced facial numbness after radiosurgical procedure Conclusion Gamma knife radiosurgery is a minimally invasive technique for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia with few complications Repeated radiosurgical procedure may result in relief of pain, but the long term outcome of gamma knife surgery for trigeminal neuralgia needs to be further studied