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Microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia in patients with multiple sclerosis
D K Resnick1, P J Jannetta, L D Lunsford
1University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Department of Neurological Surgery, Pennsylvania, USA.
Background:
Microvascular decompression (MVD) of the trigeminal nerve is a well-established procedure for the treatment of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. Multiple sclerosis (MS) has long been considered a contraindication for this procedure, due to the known polycentric nature of the disease. Medical treatment followed by percutaneous procedures provide relief for the great majority of these patients. There exists a small subgroup of patients with trigeminal neuralgia who are diagnosed with MS only after a microvascular decompression procedure has been performed. Furthermore, management of the patient with known MS whose pain continues to recur, despite maximal medical therapy and multiple percutaneous procedures, can be exceedingly difficult.
Methods:
Five patients with MS, three who had undergone multiple unsuccessful percutaneous procedures and two in whom the diagnosis of MS had not been established, underwent exploration of the cerebellopontine angle. Three patients underwent MVD alone, and two (both with known MS) underwent MVD and partial section of the trigeminal nerve.
Results:
Patients who underwent microvascular decompression alone did not have satisfactory relief of pain. Patients who underwent partial sectioning of the nerve did better.
Conclusions:
Patients with MS and symptoms of typical trigeminal neuralgia may benefit from exploration of the cerebellopontine angle and partial sectioning of the nerve. MVD alone fails to provide adequate or reliable relief of pain.
Insights
For patients with trigeminal neuralgia and multiple sclerosis (MS), partial sectioning of the trigeminal nerve offers better pain relief than microvascular decompression (MVD) alone. MVD may not provide adequate pain relief in these cases.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Neurology
Background:
- Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is often treated with microvascular decompression (MVD).
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) has historically been a contraindication for MVD due to its widespread nature.
- Some patients develop MS after MVD, and managing recurrent TN in MS patients is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate surgical options for trigeminal neuralgia in patients with multiple sclerosis.
- To compare the efficacy of MVD alone versus MVD with partial trigeminal nerve sectioning in MS patients.
Main Methods:
- Exploration of the cerebellopontine angle was performed on five MS patients.
- Three patients underwent MVD only.
- Two patients underwent MVD combined with partial sectioning of the trigeminal nerve.
Main Results:
- Microvascular decompression alone provided insufficient pain relief for patients with MS.
- Partial sectioning of the trigeminal nerve resulted in better pain management outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Surgical exploration and partial sectioning of the trigeminal nerve may benefit MS patients with TN symptoms.
- Microvascular decompression alone is not a reliable or adequate treatment for TN in the context of MS.