Gamma knife radiosurgery to the trigeminal ganglion for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia secondary to vertebrobasilar ectasia
نویسندگان
چکیده
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). CASE DESCRIPTION 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.
منابع مشابه
Review of the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia with gamma knife radiosurgery.
BACKGROUND Trigeminal neuralgia is a debilitating condition caused by compression of the trigeminal nerve, ganglions, or divisions. Gamma knife radiosurgery has been increasingly used in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia as a non-invasive alternative to microvascular decompression and rhizotomies. METHODS We reviewed the medical literature regarding outcomes, time course, and prognostic f...
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