title: Percutaneous balloon compression for trigeminal neuralgias and autonomic cephalalgia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This prospective study aimed to evaluate the results of percutaneous trigeminal ganglion balloon compression (BC) in patients with various types of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and autonomic cephalalgia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five consecutive patients underwent BC and were followed up for 27-60 months. They were divided into 2 groups: group A (n=18) patients with idiopathic TN and group B (n=7) patients with secondary TN (n=5) and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia (TAC) (n=2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Postoperatively, 15 patients in group A experienced pain relief, one required medication and 2 had no response; in group B, 6 were free of pain, including the 2 patients with TAC, and one required medication. Complications in both groups were either functionally trivial or infrequent. None of the patients developed keratitis or anesthesia dolorosa. Pain recurrence occurred early (<6 months) in one patient from group B, and late in 2 patients from group A.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Balloon compression is a minimally invasive procedure that seems to be comparably successful for idiopathic and secondary TN, as well as TAC. However, further studies are deemed necessary to establish it as the first-line treatment in medically resistant trigeminal pain.
authors.affiliation: University of Patras--Neurosurgery, Rion, Greece.
authors.forename: Constantine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Constantoyannis
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kagadis
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chroni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D051303:Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgias / Q000601:surgery*; D014277:Trigeminal Neuralgia / Q000601:surgery*