Compresión percutánea del ganglio de Gasser y raíz trigeminal con balón en el tratamiento de la neuralgia del trigémino

Abstract

Introduction: Percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) is one of the standards techniques for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia.The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of PBC of the Gasserian ganglion and trigeminal rootlets as treatment for trigeminal neuralgia (TN).
Methods: A prospective cohort analytical observational study was used. A total of 293 patients with trigeminal neuralgia were treated with PBC between october 2008 and October 2019 in Lima, Perú. The data were obtained from hospital records and interviews. PBC was performed under sedation with propofol and remifentanil. Oxygen was administered through nasal cannula and the heart rate and blood pressure were monitored throughout the procedure. The procedure is carried out with C-arm fluoroscopy to facilitate the introduction of the 14 G needle until the foramen oval is entered and the visualization of the inflated catheter Fogarty 4F in the Meckel´s cave. Once in the right position, a clearly defined pear shape or hourglass is seen after injection of 0.5 – 1 mL of contrast material.
Results: The mean age was 64.2 years (range, 27-90). Thirty-six patients (12%) had other previous surgical procedures. Two hundred sixty-two patients (89.4%) experienced immediate relief from neuralgia following the procedure. A pear-shaped balloon was obtained in 162 cases (55.3%), hourglass 73 (24.9%) and oval 58 (19.8%). In 245 patients (83.6%) the balloon is kept inflated for 60–90 seconds. It is crucial to obtain a pear shape or hourglass because this probably is the most significant factor for obtaining good, long-lasting pain relief. The whole procedure takes 15 minutes. Following the procedure, hemifacial hypoesthesia was moderate or severe in 76.5% of patients. Most patients have a significant recovery in facial sensitivity at three months post-procedure and continue to improve over time. All patients faced some transient difficulty chewing in the affected side. Recurrence was observed in 26 patients (9.2%) during a follow-up time of 6 months to 11 years (5.75 years). The most common form of balloon associated with recurrence was oval (65.4%).
Conclusions: PBC is a technically simple, well tolerated by patients. The operation success rate is high. Patients with pear or hourglass shape balloon obtained the best results.