Efficacy of Neurectomy of Peripheral Branches of the Trigeminal Nerve in Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Critical Review of the Literature

Multimodality Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia: An Institutional Experience

Object  Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) consists of excruciating paroxysmal pain, which lasts for seconds to minutes, in the distribution of fifth cranial nerve. TN is not life-threatening, but life became miserable because of high intensity of pain. This study aimed to assess the overall success rates of different treatments, considering pain relief, recurrence rates, and potential side effects. Material and Methods  A total of 203 patients of TN treated in the period of last 10 years, that is, 2013 to 2022, were included. Medial management was in 103, radiofrequency ablation in 17, neurectomy in 9, tumor excision in 6, and microvascular decompression (MVD) was done in 68 patients. Magnetic resonance imaging brain with fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition was the basic investigation to decide the etiology of disease. Results  Preliminary findings from our institutional experience indicate that a multidisciplinary approach, combining medical, surgical, and noninvasive treatments, yielded the most favorable results in managing TN. The majority of patients achieved significant pain reduction and improved quality of life with these selected therapies. However, certain subgroups of patients exhibited a higher propensity for treatment resistance, necessitating further investigation into personalized treatment strategies. Conclusion  Our study concludes that there is no definitive treatment modality (either medical or surgical) available for patients with TN. As the etiology of TN is varied, management of TN also varied, that is, multidisciplinary approach. Every type of treatment has pros and cons but when the cause of TN is vascular compression and patient's general condition permits for surgery, in such cases MVD should be preferred over the ablative procedures.

Botulinum toxin-A as a treatment option for refractory idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia of the ophthalmic branch: a case report and literature review

Trigeminal neuralgia is one of the most common neurological pains affecting the head and neck and is associated with severe, lancinating, electrical pain episodes. The maxillary and mandibular branches are usually affected. The ophthalmic branch is rarely involved and, when present, it requires a comprehensive workup to rule out major conditions. Pharmacotherapy and surgery are the most common treatment options for this condition. Systemic medications may pose a wide range of side effects and effectiveness may decrease over time while surgery has inherent complications. Injectable onabotulinum toxins have been utilized for various applications in medicine and dentistry. There is, however, limited data on their use for the management of refractory trigeminal neuralgia of the ophthalmic branch. We present the case of a 58-year-old male diagnosed with refractory idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia affecting the ophthalmic branch, which was unresponsive to standard care and successfully managed with onabotulinum toxin type A. This treatment should be considered in cases of refractory trigeminal neuralgia prior to surgery. We reviewed the relevant literature concerning the application of Onabotulinum toxin A for managing trigeminal neuralgia of the ophthalmic branch. This case report and review aim to enlighten the application of Onabotulinum toxin A for managing refractory trigeminal neuralgia of the ophthalmic branch. Our case report and review show that Onabotulinum toxin A could be used for managing TN of the ophthalmic branch.

Mental Nerve Neurectomy: A Comparison of Titanium Screw Versus Gutta-Percha Oburation of the Mental Foramen

OBJECTIVE

 This study aims to compare the two mental foramen obturating techniques in parameters like operator's ease, postoperative displacement of obturation material, and remission of pain after peripheral neurectomy in patients with trigeminal neuralgia.

STUDY DESIGN

 This study adopts a single-centered comparative analytical approach.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY

This study was performed in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry (AFID), from October 1, 2023, to February 10, 2024.

METHODOLOGY

Sixty patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included and divided into two groups (30 each), and peripheral neurectomy was performed under local anesthesia. In one group, gutta-percha sticks were used to obturate the foramina, and in the other group, titanium screws were used. Postoperatively, the operator's ease, postoperative displacement, and relapse of pain were recorded.

RESULTS

 Titanium screws were easy to handle, and there was no relapse of pain because of no displacement postoperatively when compared with gutta-percha sticks, which were hard to manipulate and showed a relapse of pain.

CONCLUSIONS

 Titanium screws have better postoperative outcomes when compared with gutta-percha sticks in terms of the operator's ease, relapse of pain, and postoperative displacement.

Peripheral Neurectomy With Customized Nerve Reconstruction for Periorbital Neuropathic Pain: Initial Experience and Clinical Outcomes

PURPOSE

To describe a novel, minimally invasive surgical technique to treat severe, intractable periorbital neuropathic pain.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of patients with severe, treatment-refractory periorbital pain who underwent transection of affected sensory trigeminal branches with nerve repair was performed. Collected data included etiology and duration of neuropathic pain, comorbidities, prior treatment history, surgical technique including site of transected sensory nerves and type of nerve repair, preoperative and postoperative pain scores as well as follow-up duration. Differences between preoperative and postoperative values were analyzed by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

RESULTS

A total of 5 patients with severe periorbital neuropathic pain underwent transection of affected supraorbital, supratrochlear, infratrochlear, infraorbital, zygomaticotemporal, and zygomaticofacial nerves with customized nerve reconstruction. All 5 had improvement of periorbital pain after surgery, with 3 (60%) noting complete resolution of pain and 2 (40%) experiencing partial pain relief over a median follow-up period of 9 months (interquartile range [IQR], 6-19 months). Of the 3 patients who had complete resolution of pain, all reported continued pain relief. Median McGill pain scores significantly decreased from 8.4 (IQR, 8.2-10.0) preoperatively to 0.0 (IQR, 0.0-4.8; p < 0.001) postoperatively. All patients reported satisfaction with the surgical procedure and stated that they would undergo the procedure again if given the option. One patient with history of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) had reactivation of herpes zoster at postoperative month 3, which was self-limited, without worsening of her neuropathic pain. Another patient with PHN required a staged procedure to achieve complete pain relief.

CONCLUSION

Peripheral neurectomy with customized reconstruction of involved sensory nerves can successfully reduce and even eradicate periorbital neuropathic pain that was previously recalcitrant to combination pharmacotherapy and prior neurolysis procedures.

Trigeminal Neuralgia: Current Approaches and Emerging Interventions

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) has been described in the literature as one of the most debilitating presentations of orofacial pain. This review summarizes over 150 years of collective clinical experience in the medical and surgical treatment of TN. Fundamentally, TN remains a clinical diagnosis that must be distinguished from other types of trigeminal neuropathic pain and/or facial pain associated with other neuralgias or headache syndromes. What is increasingly clear is that there is no catch-all medical or surgical intervention that is effective for all patients with trigeminal neuralgia, likely reflective of the fact that TN is likely a heterogenous group of disorders that jointly manifests in facial pain. The first-line treatment for TN remains anticonvulsant medical therapy. Patients who fail this have a range of surgical options available to them. In general, microvascular decompression is a safe and effective procedure with immediate and durable outcomes. Patients who are unable to tolerate general anesthesia or whose medical comorbidities preclude a suboccipital craniectomy may benefit from percutaneous methodologies including glycerol or radiofrequency ablation, or both. For patients with bleeding diathesis due to blood thinning medications who are ineligible for invasive procedures, or for those who are unwilling to undergo open surgical procedures, radiosurgery may be an excellent option-provided the patient understands that maximum pain relief will take on the order of months to achieve. Finally, peripheral neurectomies continue to provide an inexpensive and resource-sparing alternative to pain relief for patients in locations with limited economic and medical resources. Ultimately, elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying trigeminal neuralgia will pave the way for novel, more effective and less invasive therapies.

Peripheral Neurectomy for Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Report of Seventeen Cases and Review of the Literature

Background:

Surgical intervention for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is indicated if there is a failure of the medical treatment. Peripheral neurectomy is one of the oldest surgical procedures for TN.

Objective:

The aim is to evaluate the clinical outcome and the recurrence rate following peripheral neurectomy for the management of TN.

Patients and Methods:

This was a retrospective cohort study of 17 patients with classical TN treated by peripheral neurectomy. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used for pain assessment preoperatively and during the follow-up period. The outcome of surgery was graded as a marked, moderate, or mild improvement. Kaplan–Meier analysis was used for the time to recurrence to predict the probability of recurrence at any given time following the procedure.

Results:

The mean pain-free interval was 29.3 ± 16.3 months. At 2 and 5 years of the follow-up period, the mean VAS improved significantly (P < 0.001 and P = 0.042 respectively). Thirteen patients had marked improvement of pain. There was recurrence of pain in 4 patients (23.5%). By Kaplan–Meier analysis, the survival rate without recurrence at 2, 3, 4, and 5 years following the procedure were 92.9%, 79.6%, 59.7%, and 29.8%, respectively. The mean preoperative Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety and Depression scores significantly improved on the last follow-up visit following the procedure (P < 0.001 for both).

Conclusion:

Peripheral neurectomy provides short to medium-term good pain control for patients with TN. The preoperative severity of pain, anxiety, and depression levels improved markedly after the procedure.

Peripheral Neurectomy for Management of Trigeminal Neuralgia Refractory to Multiple Surgical Procedures

Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) is defined as a recurrent, unilateral, brief, electric shock-like pain and is associated with a significant deterioration in quality of life due to the debilitating nature of the pain. The first line treatment is medical therapy, and surgical treatment is reserved for patients with inadequate pain control or undesirable side effects. Surgical options for treatment may include microvascular decompression (MVD), stereotactic radiosurgery, percutaneous radiofrequency rhizotomy, and percutaneous balloon compression of trigeminal ganglion. MVD is considered the procedure of choice due to its high efficacy and safety profile; however, it carries a recurrence rate of 1%–5% annually and 15%–35% long term. Although re-operative MVD has been reported for recurrent cases, it carries a high risk of complications due to arachnoid adhesions and distorted anatomy. Peripheral neurectomy is a simple, expeditious, low-risk procedure that is well tolerated by patients and can be done even under local anesthesia. We report a case of a 69-year-old man who presented with a debilitating TN in the V1 and V2 territory refractory to MVD, stereotactic radiosurgery, and percutaneous balloon compression of the trigeminal ganglion, who had been treated with neurectomy of the left supraorbital, supratrochlear, and infraorbital nerves, with an excellent outcome at 6 months follow-up. Peripheral neurectomy is an effective alternative for patients with refractory TN who failed multiple surgical interventions. Previous publications have reported an elevated long-term recurrence rate after this procedure, perhaps due to peripheral nerve regeneration or neuroma formation. It is not yet studied whether using nerve conduits may lead to a decrease in recurrence.