Repeated CT-guided percutaneous radiofrequency thermocoagulation for recurrent trigeminal neuralgia.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the long-term outcomes of repeated percutaneous radiofrequency thermocoagulation (PRT) for recurrent trigeminal neuralgia (TN) patients.


METHODS
Between 2002 and 2012, 33 patients with recurrent TN following an initial PRT procedure were retrospectively studied and underwent 43 repeated PRT procedures.


RESULTS
The mean length of follow-up after repeated PRT was 34 months. Pain relief was immediate in 30 patients (90.9%), and no pain relief occurred in 3 patients (9.1%) following a second PRT procedure. The percentage of patients who remained in an 'excellent' and 'good' pain relief condition (pain intensity ≤BIN grade III) after the second PRT procedure was 75% at 1 year, 68% at 2 years and 68% at 5 years, and 22 of these patients (54.5%) remained satisfied with their pain relief during the follow-up period. Nine patients underwent PRT three times and 1 patient four times. The total number of patients who benefited from repeated PRT was 28 (84.8%). Postprocedure complications including masseter weakness were present in 3 patients and limited mouth opening affected 1 patient. No mortalities were observed during or after repeated PRT procedures.


CONCLUSIONS
Repeated PRT provides long-term pain relief benefits to patients with recurrent TN and should be considered as an alternative treatment for recurrent TN.
Pain Management, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, PR China.
Yuan-Zhang
YZ
Tang
Di
D
Jin
Xuan-Ying
XY
Li
Guang-Hui
GH
Lai
Na
N
Li
Jia-Xiang
JX
Ni
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004564:Electrocoagulation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014277:Trigeminal Neuralgia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult