Percutaneous balloon compression for trigeminal neuralgias and autonomic cephalalgia.
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.
Constantoyannis
Constantine
C
University of Patras--Neurosurgery, Rion, Greece.
Kagadis
George
G
Chroni
Elisabeth
E
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*