Stereotactic radiotherapy for trigeminal neuralgia

Ling DONG; Qingwei DONG; Daoli NIU

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

There are several ways for treating the trigeminal neuralgia, such as medication, block therapy and surgery, etc. But few reports throughout the world described stereotactic radiotherapy(SRT) for it, which is efficient, non-invasive and painless.

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the improvement of SRT for trigeminal neuralgia.

DESIGN:

Case analysis based on patients.

SETTING:

X-knife Treatment Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Henan University of Science and Technology.

PARTICIPANTS:

Totally 30 patients with trigeminal neuralgia were selected from X-knife Treatment Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan Science and Technology University between March 1999 and March 2002. All patients were diagnosed with CT or MRI, and no other diseases were found. Patients without obvious effect from a long-term medicine treatment or surgery were selected as the investigative subjects.

METHODS:

Thirty patients with trigeminal neuralgia wearing face cover were treated with non-coplanarity fractional stereotactic radiotherapy. The patients received 2 target regions and peripheral does of 60 - 75 Gy. 5 mm collimator and isodose curves referred to ranged from 85% - 90%.MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES:

Results of therapeutic assessment and follow up.

RESULTS:

The follow up period ranged from 1 to 22 months. Among 30patients, 6 patients' symptoms were lightened or eased up over 12-24hours, 20 patients received a marked effect over 1 - 3 months, 4 patients'treatment effects were not obvious. The effect rate reached 87%. A patient occurred numbness in sick face, and a patient showed no obvious effect in the first treatment, but the efficacy became evident in the second treatment.

CONCLUSION:

It is efficient in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia with stereotaetic radiotherapy and there is no special side effect.