Percutaneous surgical treatment of trigeminal neuralgia.

The authors report on indications and results of percutaneous surgical treatment of trigeminal neuralgia based on own experiences in 1124 cases. In 912 cases percutaneous thermorhizotomy and in 212 cases percutaneous microcompression have been used. As a conclusion the following considerations have been stressed: I) In both methods slight hypaesthesia appears to obtain good pain relief; II) Percutaneous thermorhizotomy is indicated in third division neuralgias; III) Percutaneous microcompression is indicated for first and second division neuralgias only when the trigeminal cistern is not abnormally dilated; IV) Undesirable side-effects after either thermorhizotomy and microcompression are similar and transitory in most cases; V) Pain recurrence for both procedures are comparable and range at about 25%.