skip to content
Dovepress - Open Access to Scientific and Medical Research
View our mobile site

8852

Treatment of trigeminal neuralgia: role of radiofrequency ablation

Review

(3260) Views  (1198) Full article downloads

Authors: Dessy R Emril, Kok-Yuen Ho

Published Date December 2010 Volume 2010:3 Pages 249 - 254
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/JPR.S14455

Dessy R Emril1 Kok-Yuen Ho2
1Neurology Department, Syiah Kuala University/Dr Zainoel Abidin Hospital, Banda Aceh, Indonesia; 2Pain Management Centre, Raffles Hospital, Singapore

Abstract: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a neuropathic pain condition affecting the face. It has a significant impact on the quality of life and physical function of patients. Evidence suggests that the likely etiology is vascular compression of the trigeminal nerve leading to focal demyelination and aberrant neural discharge. Secondary causes such as multiple sclerosis or brain tumors can also produce symptomatic TN. Treatment must be individualized to each patient. Carbamazepine remains the drug of choice in the first-line treatment of TN. Minimally invasive interventional pain therapies and surgery are possible options when drug therapy fails. Younger patients may benefit from microvascular decompression. Elderly patients with poor surgical risk may be more suitable for percutaneous trigeminal nerve rhizolysis. The technique of radiofrequency rhizolysis of the trigeminal nerve is described in detail in this review.

Keywords: interventional treatment, minimally invasive, pain management, radiofrequency rhizolysis, trigeminal neuralgia

 








Readers of this article also read:

Role of aliskiren in cardio-renal protection and use in hypertensives with multiple risk factors
Functional mobility and balance in community-dwelling elderly submitted to multisensory versus strength exercises
Methemoglobinemia due to topical pharyngeal anesthesia during endoscopic procedures
Detection of retinal changes in Parkinson's disease with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography
Solid self-nanoemulsifying cyclosporin A pellets prepared by fluid-bed coating: preparation, characterization and in vitro redispersibility
Cumulative clinical experience from over a decade of use of levofloxacin in community-acquired pneumonia: critical appraisal and role in therapy
Functional MRI brain imaging studies using the Contact Heat Evoked Potential Stimulator (CHEPS) in a human volunteer topical capsaicin pain model
fMRI in patients with lumbar disc disease: a paradigm to study patients over time
Investigating patient expectations and treatment outcome in a chronic low back pain population
Dorsal root ganglion – a potential new therapeutic target for neuropathic pain