title: Influence of previous treatment on outcome after glycerol rhizotomy for trigeminal neuralgia.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of previous treatment on outcome and sensory disturbance after a retrogasserian glycerol injection for trigeminal neuralgia. Ninety-nine patients with trigeminal neuralgia underwent a retrogasserian glycerol rhizotomy. Fifty-three of those patients experienced recurrent pain after the previous treatment. At the 1 year follow-up, the outcome was excellent or good in 83% of patients with no previous treatment, compared with 60 and 75% in those patients with earlier glycerol injections or radiofrequency lesions, respectively. Quantitatively assessed, the sensory impairment was most pronounced in patients who had earlier radio-frequency lesions compared with patients not treated previously. The occurrence of dysesthesia was more frequent in patients who had been surgically treated earlier. A review of the literature showed that the concentration of the glycerol preparation used probably is of great importance in terms of pain relief and sensory sequelae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Bergenheim
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Hariz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003714:Denervation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005990:Glycerol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017288:Pain Threshold; D012086:Reoperation; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000187:drug effects*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014277:Trigeminal Neuralgia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D005990:Glycerol