title: Neuronavigation-assisted percutaneous balloon compression for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia: The technique and short-term clinical results.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) has been widely used in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. However, this technique has a steep learning curve and significant complications were reported that were related to foramen ovale puncturing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical results of a small patient group who underwent neuronavigation-assisted PBC.
  
  
  METHODS
  An intraoperative computed tomography (CT) device (CereTom, Neurologica, Danvers, MA/USA) was used to obtain CT scans with 2-mm slice thicknesses. The data were transferred to a neuronavigation system planning station (BrainLab, Feldkirchen, Germany). A soft touch registration system was used for image registration. With the image guidance, a trajectory was defined and the foramen ovale was cannulated using neuronavigation and Hartel's landmarks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen procedures were performed on 13 patients (4 female and 9 male) without complications. The total length of the procedure was not more than 57 min in all instances.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We believe that image-guided neuronavigation is useful for neurosurgeons who are at the beginning of their PBC learning curve. It may also be an alternative for particular patients with significant anatomic variations that result in an unsuccessful foramen ovale puncture.
authors: a Department of Neurosurgery , Istanbul School of Medicine, Istanbul University , Istanbul , Turkey.
authors: Aydin
authors: A
authors: Aydoseli
authors: Mehmet Osman
authors: MO
authors: Akcakaya
authors: Yavuz
authors: Y
authors: Aras
authors: Pulat Akin
authors: PA
authors: Sabanci
authors: Tugrul Cem
authors: TC
authors: Unal
authors: Altay
authors: A
authors: Sencer
authors: Kemal
authors: K
authors: Hepgul
authors: Omer Faruk
authors: OF
authors: Unal
authors: Orhan
authors: O
authors: Barlas
authors: Nail
authors: N
authors: Izgi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D054085:Foramen Ovale / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D038361:Neuronavigation / Q000379:methods*; D011859:Radiography; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014277:Trigeminal Neuralgia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*
keywords: foramen ovale; neuronavigation; percutaneous balloon compression; trigeminal neuralgia