LINAC Frameless Image-Guided Radiosurgery for Initial Treatment of Typical Trigeminal Neuralgia

Abstract

Trigeminal neuralgia is a paroxysmal unilateral facial pain syndrome that is characterized by agonizing, paroxysmal, and lancinating pain involving one or more divisions of the trigeminal nerve. Medical therapy is recommended as first-line management for trigeminal neuralgia, but this treatment sometimes fails to control the pain. Several invasive interventions have frequently been performed for medically intractable trigeminal neuralgia, including microvascular decompression, percutaneous balloon compression, radiofrequency rhizotomy, and glycerol rhizolysis. Microvascular decompression is considered to be the best curative intervention among the surgical procedures with acceptable risks.