Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Oct;31(7):e685-e688.
doi: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000006544.

Outcomes of Treatment for Elderly Patients With Trigeminal Neuralgia: Percutaneous Balloon Compression Versus Microvascular Decompression

Hongyan Ni  1 , Yuanlin Wang  2 , Xin Chen  2 , Weiguo Gu  3
Affiliations

Outcomes of Treatment for Elderly Patients With Trigeminal Neuralgia: Percutaneous Balloon Compression Versus Microvascular Decompression

Hongyan Ni et al. J Craniofac Surg. 2020 Oct.

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the surgical outcomes of percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) and microvascular decompression (MVD) in the treatment of elderly patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN).

Methods: A total of 30 patients who underwent PBC surgery (PBC group) and 30 patients who received MVD surgery (MVD group) were included. The treatment efficacy, Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) pain intensity score, inflammatory response, the rates of complication and recurrence were analyzed respectively.

Results: The total efficacy was 93.33% in the PBC group and 90.00% in the MVD group (P > 0.05), respectively. The pain relief rate was 90.00% and 86.67% after PBC and MVD surgery, respectively (P > 0.05). The levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 were significantly decreased at post-operative 3 days and 5 days compared with pre-operation in the 2 groups (P < 0.05). The post-operative complication rates regarding masticatory muscle weakness and facial numbness in the PBC group were higher than MVD group (P < 0.05). Nevertheless, the incidences of herpes simplex and keratohelcosis were similar between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). The recurrence rates were also similar between the 3 groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: Percutaneous balloon compression and MVD are effective in the treatment for elderly TN, which can effectively improve the post-operative cure rate of pain prognosis and reduce the inflammatory response. However, PBC is a minimally invasive, safe and effective method for patients in poor general condition and refused treatment with craniotomy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Zakrzewska JM. Diagnosis and differential diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia. Clin J Pain 2002; 18:14–21.
    1. Katusic S, Williams DB, Beard CM, et al. Epidemiology and clinical features of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia and glossopharyngeal neuralgia: similarities and differences, Rochester, Minnesota, 1945–1984. Neuroepidemiology 1991; 10:276–281.
    1. Katusic S, Beard CM, Bergstralh E, et al. Incidence and clinical features of trigeminal neuralgia, Rochester, Minnesota, 1945–1984. Ann Neurol 1990; 27:89–95.
    1. Merrison AF, Fuller G. Treatment options for trigeminal neuralgia. BMJ 2003; 327:1360–1361.
    1. Montano N, Conforti G, Di Bonaventura R, et al. Advances in diagnosis and treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. Ther Clin Risk Manag 2015; 11:289–299.

LinkOut - more resources