[Surgical therapy of trigeminal neuralgia. Selective thermocoagulation of Gasser's ganglion].

These first ultrastructural studies of the effect caused by thermocoagulation of a ganglion (ganglion inferius nervi vagi) akin to the Gasserian ganglion have shown that selective pain fiber elimination can only be expected from thermocoagulation at temperatures not higher than 50 degrees C/60 s or 60 degrees C/60 s. Even if the results of these animal experiments can only be applicable to clinical practice in the sense of an analogical conclusion, we are nevertheless of the opinion that it can be recommended to begin the thermocoagulation in trigeminus neuralgia at low temperatures (50 degrees C/60 s or 60 degrees C/60 s) and only if found necessary, after checking the sensitivity to pain, to increase it in steps of 5--10 degrees C.