title: Gamma knife radiosurgery to the trigeminal ganglion for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia secondary to vertebrobasilar ectasia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We report the result obtained using Gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery on the trigeminal ganglion (TG) in a patient with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) secondary to vertebrobasilar ectasia (VBE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of medical records corresponding to one patient with VBE-related trigeminal pain treated with radiosurgery. Because of the impossibility of visualization of the entry zone or the path of trigeminal nerve through the pontine cistern, we proceeded with stereotactic radiosurgery directed to the TG. The maximum radiation dose was 86 Gy with a 8-mm and a 4-mm collimator. The follow-up period was 24 months. The pain disappeared in 15 days, passing from Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) grade V to BNI grade IIIa in 4 months and then to grade I. The patient did not experience noticeable subjective facial numbness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This experience showed that Gamma knife radiosurgery was effective in the management of VBE-related trigeminal pain, using the TG as radiosurgical target.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, CDD Las Mercedes, Hospital de Clinicas Caracas, Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Somaza
authors.affiliation: Unit of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, CDD Las Mercedes, Hospital de Clinicas Caracas, Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hurtado
authors.affiliation: Unit of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, CDD Las Mercedes, Hospital de Clinicas Caracas, Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Eglee
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Montilla
authors.affiliation: Unit of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, CDD Las Mercedes, Hospital de Clinicas Caracas, Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ghaleb
keywords: Gamma knife radiosurgery; trigeminal ganglion; trigeminal neuralgia; vertebrobasilar ectasia