Internal neurolysis: ‘nerve combing’ for trigeminal neuralgia without neurovascular conflict – early UK outcomes

Author(s):  
Andrew J. Durnford ◽  
Ben Gaastra ◽  
Danyal Akarca ◽  
Amanda Lodge ◽  
Frederick G. Ewbank ◽  
...  
2020 ◽  
Vol 132 (1) ◽  
pp. 217-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fran A. Hardaway ◽  
Hanna C. Gustafsson ◽  
Katherine Holste ◽  
Kim J. Burchiel ◽  
Ahmed M. Raslan

OBJECTIVEPain relief following microvascular decompression (MVD) for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) may be related to pain type, degree of neurovascular conflict, arterial compression, and location of compression. The objective of this study was to construct a predictive pain-free scoring system based on clinical and radiographic factors that can be used to preoperatively prognosticate long-term outcomes for TN patients following surgical intervention (MVD or internal neurolysis [IN]). It was hypothesized that contributing factors would include pain type, presence of an artery or vein, neurovascular conflict severity, and compression location (root entry zone).METHODSAt the authors’ institution 275 patients with type 1 or type 2 TN (TN1 or TN2) underwent MVD or IN following preoperative high-resolution brain MRI studies. Outcome data were obtained retrospectively by chart review and/or phone follow-up. Characteristics of neurovascular conflict were obtained from preoperative MRI studies. Factors that resulted in a probability value of < 0.05 on univariate logistic regression analyses were entered into a multivariate Cox regression analysis in a backward stepwise fashion. For the multivariate analysis, significance at the 0.15 level was used. A prognostic system was then devised with 4 possible scores (0, 1, 2, or 3) and pain-free survival analyses conducted.RESULTSUnivariate predictors of pain-free survival were pain type (p = 0.013), presence of any vessel (p = 0.042), and neurovascular compression severity (p = 0.038). Scores of 0, 1, 2, and 3 were found to be significantly different in regard to pain-free survival (log rank, p = 0.005). At 5 and 10 years there were 36%, 43%, 61%, and 69%, and 36%, 43%, 56%, and 67% pain-free survival rates in groups 0, 1, 2, and 3, respectively. While TN2 patients had worse outcomes regardless of score, a subgroup analysis of TN1 patients with higher neurovascular conflict (score of 3) had significantly better outcomes than TN1 patients without severe neurovascular conflict (score of 1) (log rank, p = 0.005). Regardless of pain type, those patients with severe neurovascular conflict were more likely to have arterial compression (99%) compared to those with low neurovascular conflict (p < 0.001).CONCLUSIONSPain-free survival was predicted by a scoring system based on preoperative clinical and radiographic findings. Higher scores predicted significantly better pain relief than lower scores. TN1 patients with severe neurovascular conflict had the best long-term pain-free outcome.


Neurosurgery ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (CN_suppl_1) ◽  
pp. 228-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frances Hardaway ◽  
Hanna Gustafsson ◽  
Katherine Holste ◽  
Kim J Burchiel ◽  
Ahmed M T Raslan

Abstract INTRODUCTION Pain relief following microsurgery for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) may be related to multiple factors including pain type, degree of neurovascular conflict, arterial compression, and location of compression. The objective of this study was to construct a predictive scoring system based on clinical and radiographic factors that can preoperatively prognosticate long-term outcomes in TN following surgery. METHODS 275 patients with Type 1 or Type 2 TN underwent microvascular decompression (MVD) or internal neurolysis (IN) following a preoperative high-resolution MRI. Outcome data was obtained retrospectively by chart review and/or phone follow-up. Characteristics of neurovascular conflict were obtained from preoperative MRI. Factors that resulted in a probability value of <0.05 on univariate logistic regression analyses were entered into a multivariate cox regression analysis in a backward stepwise fashion. For the multivariate analysis, significance at the 0.15 level was used. A prognostic system was then devised with three possible scores (0/1, 2, or 3) and survival analyses were conducted. RESULTS >Univariate predictors of pain-free survival were pain type (P = 0.013), presence of any vessel (P = 0.042), and neurovascular compression severity (0.038). Scores of 0/1, 2, and 3 were found to be significantly different in regard to pain-free survival (log rank, P = 0.008). At 5 and 10 years there were 42, 57, and 72% and 42,52, and 58%, pain free survival in groups 0/1, 2, and 3, respectively. TN1 patients with severe neurovascular conflict (score of 3) had the best outcome, which was significantly better that TN1 patients without neurovascular conflict (score of 1) (log rank, P = 0.005). Severe neurovascular conflict is more likely to have arterial compression (99%) (P< 0.001). CONCLUSION Pain-free survival of TN patients after microsurgery can be predicted in a step-wise statistically significant fashion, by a simple scoring system based on preoperative clinical and radiographic findings.


Author(s):  
Ming-Wu Li ◽  
Xiao-feng Jiang ◽  
Chaoshi Niu

Abstract Background and Objective Trigeminal neuralgia is a common neurologic disease that seriously impacts a patient's quality of life. We retrospectively investigated the efficacy and safety of internal neurolysis (nerve combing) for trigeminal neuralgia without vascular compression. Patients and Methods This study was a retrospective review of all patients with trigeminal neuralgia who were admitted between January 2014 and February 2019. A subgroup of 36 patients had no vascular compression at surgery and underwent internal neurolysis. Chart review and postoperative follow-up were performed to assess the overall outcomes of internal neurolysis. Results Thirty-six patients were identified, with a mean age of 44.89 ± 7.90 (rang: 31–65) years and a disease duration of 5.19 ± 2.61 years. The immediate postoperative pain relief (Barrow Neurological Institute [BNI] pain score of I or II) rate was 100%. The medium- to long-term pain relief rate was 91.7%. Three patients experienced recurrence. Facial numbness was the primary postoperative complication. Four patients with a score of III on the BNI numbness scale immediately after surgery had marked improvement at 6 months. No serious complications occurred. Conclusion Internal neurolysis is a safe and effective treatment for trigeminal neuralgia without vascular compression or clear responsible vessels.


2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 336-344
Author(s):  
Dana Mihaela Turliuc ◽  
B. Dobrovăţ ◽  
A. I. Cucu ◽  
Ş. Turliuc ◽  
Daniela Trandafir ◽  
...  

Abstract The trigeminal neuralgia caused by neurovascular compression is a neurosurgical pathology requiring the preoperative identification as exact as possible of the neurovascular conflict. In this case, neuroimaging is very useful, as it allows not only the determination of the neurovascular conflict of the trigeminal nerve, but also the correct indication of an adequate surgical approach.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-31
Author(s):  
E. V. Baliazina ◽  
O. M. Evusyak ◽  
V. A. Baliazin ◽  
N. G. Kadyan

The thematic review discusses various points of view on the topographic and atomic features of the location of the root of the trigeminal nerve and the superior cerebellar artery that serve as the foundation for the development of classical trigeminal neuralgia. The diagnostic capabilities of magnetic resonance imaging in the recognition of neurovascular conflict as the pathogenetic basis of the disease are considered. The search for diagnostic criteria that distinguish neurovascular conflict from neurovascular contact by improving both the performance of MRI and the new technical possibilities of its interpretation is highlighted in the chronological aspect. The possibilities of multispiral X-ray computed angiography in 3D mode as an alternative method for diagnosing neurovascular conflict are described.


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