Evaluation of the short-term response in refractory trigeminal neuralgia treated with CyberKnife
Evaluation of the short-term response in refractory trigeminal neuralgia treated with CyberKnife
Date
2023-11-06
Authors
Maricely Ámbar Pérez Fernández
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Abstract
Objectives. Stereotactic radiosurgery combined with pharmacological treatment is currently
one of the most acceptable alternatives for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia (TN).
Our primary endpoint was to report the short-term response (one month) outcomes of 10
patients with refractory TN after CyberKnife®
(CK) radiosurgery; secondary endpoints were
to assess early side effects and complications.
Methods. Ten female patients with TN refractory to pharmacological and/or nonpharmacological treatment received a single dose of 90 Gy with CyberKnife®
radiosurgery.
Clinical and demographic characteristics were obtained from medical records. The visual
analog scale (VAS) was used to assess facial pain before as well as seven, 15, and 30 days after
treatment. Friedman test was performed to evaluate pain relief in treated patients.
Results. All patients responded well to the CK and experienced initial adequate pain relief
during the first 30 days (p<0.001). No significant differences (p=0.661) were found between
six patients who received CK radiosurgery as the first treatment option and those who
underwent other non-pharmacological treatments. One patient was re-irradiated with 75 Gy.
Transient facial paresthesia was observed in 3/10 patients without any other complications.
Conclusion. High-tech CK treatment is safe, non-invasive, fast, with minimal side effects,
and effective in achieving short-term pain relief in patients with refractory TN, even in
those with multiple previous interventions. Given these results, we recommend evaluating
CK radiosurgery as the first-line treatment of choice for trigeminal neuralgia refractory to
pharmacological treatment.
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Citation
Pérez Fernández A, Aquino R E, Niño De Guzmán C, et al. (November 06, 2023) Evaluation of the Short-Term Response in Refractory Trigeminal Neuralgia Treated With CyberKnife.