Percutaneous radiofrequency trigeminal rhizotomy for the treatment of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia: Experience in 106 patients

Özet

Objective: The aim of our study is to analyse the results of percutaneous radiofrequency trigeminal rhizotomy for treatment of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. Methods: We inspected the results of 106 patients with the diagnoses of idiopathic neuralgia that treated with percutaneous radiofrequency trigeminal rhizotomy retrospectively. The scores of visual analog scale(VAS) were noted preoperative and post- operative periods at 1 st , 3 rd , 6 th and 12 th months and were used for statistical analysis. Results: Mean age of 106 patients was 67.31±8.85 years. Duration of symptoms was 19.1±13.1 months. Duration of symptoms did not change significantly according to gender (p=0.755), or site of trigeminal pain (p=0.158). There was not any statistical sig- nificance between gender, effected branch of trigemial nerve and side of the pain. Preoperative mean VAS score was 9.6±0.75. Postoperative mean VAS score values were 3.25±2.44 at first month, 3.23±2.43 at third months, 3.12±2.78 at sixth months and 2.59±3.18 at postoperative twelfth months. We found statistically significant difference between preoperative and postopera- tive 1 st , 3 rd , 6 th and 12 th months VAS scores (p<0.001). Conclusion: Percutaneous radiofrequency trigeminal rhizotomy is the minimally invasive treatment modality with lower com- plication rates and it has a high rate of efficacy when compared with invasive methods. It is most cost-effective procedure to choose if the pain recurs.