title: [The evaluation of curative effect of radiofrequency thermocoagulation on semilunar ganglion of aged patients with recurrent trigeminal neuralgia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate curative effect and importance of radiofrequency thermocoagulation onsemilunar ganglion of aged patients with recurrent trigeminal neuralgia.
  
  
  METHODS
  112 cases with recurrent trigeminal neuralgia were performed with radiofrequency thermocoagulation on semilunar ganglion by puncture through skin under local anesthesia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The maintaining effective duration in 112 cases was 7.3 ± 1.3 years after primary therapy. After the first thermocoagulation, 89.28% (100/112) patients got the relief from pain immediately, 8 (7.14%) cases also recieved the same effect after twice treatment. However two cases (2.6%) had no effects. The total effective rate was 98.21%. During five follow-up years, VAS scores, dose of carbamazepine and satisfaction were better than those before the treatment. The effective rate was still over 57.5% within three years after the treatment. The recurrent risk increased obviously from 40 months after the treatment by Kaplan-Meier method.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Semilunar ganglion of radiofrequency thermocoagulation was an ideal option for old-age patients with trigeminal neuralgia. It can be performed repeatedly.
authors.forename: Shenhong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Xiping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Dongyun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004564:Electrocoagulation; D006801:Humans; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D012668:Trigeminal Ganglion / Q000601:surgery*; D014277:Trigeminal Neuralgia / Q000601:surgery*