Multidata Analysis Based on an Artificial Neural Network Model for Long-Term Pain Outcome and Key Predictors of Microvascular Decompression in Trigeminal Neuralgia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate use of multidata analysis based on an artificial neural network (ANN) to predict long-term pain outcomes after microvascular decompression (MVD) in patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and to explore key predictors. METHODS: Perioperative and long-term follow-up multidata of 1041 patients with TN who received MVD surgery at Hangzhou First People's Hospital from March 2013 to May 2018 were collected to construct an ANN model for prediction. The prediction results were compared with the actual follow-up outcomes, and the variables in each input layer were changed to test the effectiveness of ANN and explore the factors that had the greatest impact on prediction accuracy. RESULTS: The ANN model could predict the long-term pain outcomes after MVD in patients with TN with an accuracy rate of 95.2% and area under the curve of 0.862. Four factors contributed the most to the predictive performance of the ANN: whether the neurovascular offending site of the trigeminal nerve corresponded the region of facial pain, immediate postoperative pain remission after MVD, degree of nerve compression by culprit vessels, and the type of culprit vessels. After these factors were sequentially removed, the accuracy of the ANN model decreased to 74.5%, 78.6%, 87.2%, and 90.1%, while the area under the curve was 0.705, 0.761, 0.793, and 0.810. CONCLUSIONS: The ANN model, constructed using multiple data, predicted long-term pain prognosis after MVD in patients with TN objectively and accurately. The model was able to assess the importance of each factor in the prediction of pain outcome.

Treatment of refractory trigeminal neuralgia by micro-balloon compression trigeminal ganglion / 实用医学杂志

Objective To evaluate the clinical effects of percutaneous micro-balloon compression (PBC) trigeminal ganglion for the treatment refractory trigeminal neuralgia. Methods Surgical results of 452 patients with trigeminal neuralgia treated by PBC from October 2009 to May 2013 were analyzed retrospectively. 125 cases aged over 80 years old and 70 cases′ pain belongs to the first branch neuralgia. Such procedures as Meckle′s cave cannulated with No.4 Forgarty catheter and the balloon inflated and compressed the gasserian ganglion monitored by X-ray were observed by PBC. Follow-up interview and curative effects were recorded. Results The average hospitalization was 6.1 days. Among them, 432(95.6%) cases had immediate relief from pain. The overall pain relief rate was 97.8% in our group without serious surgical complications. Postoperative complications include hemifacial numbness in 385 patients (85.2%), mild masseter muscle weakness in 248 patients (54.9%), diplopia in 2 patients. All symptoms relived or disappeared within 1 ~ 6 months. The average follow-up intervier period is 23.5 months. The recurrence rate is 10.2% (46 cases). Conclusion PBC is a safe and effective method with high pain relief rate in the treatment of refractory trigeminal neuralgia , especially for the treatment of the high risk patients , patients with recurrent symptoms or the patients suffered from the first branch neuralgia.