Abstract
Background:Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a debilitating condition characterized by sudden, usually unilateral, severe, brief, stabbing recurrent episodes of pain in the distribution of one or more branches of the trigeminal nerve The treatment of refractory trigeminal neuralgia is often a challenge in clinical practice. Nowadays, radiofrequency (RF) is one of the most effective options for treatment.
Purpose We conducted a prospective study to compare the effectiveness of percutaneous fluoroscopic-guided Thermocoagulation radiofrequency (TRF) versus pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) for management of patients with refractory trigeminal neuralgia.
Patient and methodsA randomized comparative study study was carried out in Zagazig university hospitals. Overall, 90 adult patients suffering from refractory TN were randomly assigned to two groups (45 in each). The TRF group was treated with TRF and the PRF group was treated with PRF.
Results There were significant improvements in both groups as regards Visual Analog Score which was higher in the TRF group at 12 months of follow‑up after that, pain began to return in the PRF group rather than in the TRF group.
Conclusion Both TRF and PRF are effective in relieving pain associated with trigeminal neuralgia. Excellent pain relief and reduced consumption of analgesics for more than 12 months were observed in patients who received TRF compared with PRF treatment of refractory TN.