Articles

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Using Pulse Dose Radiofrequency for Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia

Abstract

Trigeminal neuralgia has an incidence of 4-13 per 100000 people per year. The incidence of this disease increases in the elderly, and it is known to cause severe shock-like pain. Pharmacological therapy is the first-line treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. If pharmacological therapy fails, then different procedures are available. Pulse-dose radiofrequency is one such procedure. In this study, we evaluated Pulse dose radiofrequency's efficacy as a method in which pulse amplitude and width are considered essential variables. This research was conducted as a cross-sectional study on trigeminal neuralgia patients referred to the pain clinic of Amir A’lam Hospital in 2020. Conservative therapy has failed; therefore, the clinician decided to use pulse dose radiofrequency to reduce their pain. Among the 29 patients registered during this period, 15 (51.8%) were women and 14 (48.3%) were men. The mean (±SD) age of the patient was 57.07(±14.26) years. The tow route was interrupted in 7 (24.1%) patients. A significant difference was observed between the pain scores before and after the operation (P<0.001). Pulse-dose radiofrequency is a safe and effective therapy for treating trigeminal neuralgia and can be considered a new way to develop the pulse radiofrequency method.

1. Arnold M. Headache classification committee of the international headache society (IHS) the international classification of headache disorders. Cephalalgia 2018;38:1-211.
2. MacDonald BK, Cockerell OC, Sander JW, Shorvon SD. The incidence and lifetime prevalence of neurological disorders in a prospective community-based study in the UK. Brain 2000;123:665-76.
3. Sabourin V, Lavergne P, Mazza J, Head J, Al-Saiegh F, Stefanelli T, et al. Internal Neurolysis for the Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Systematic Review. World Neurosurg 2022:158:e829-42.
4. Erdine S, Ozyalcin NS, Cimen A, Celik M, Talu GK, Disci R. Comparison of pulsed radiofrequency with conventional radiofrequency in the treatment of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. Eur J Pain 2007;11:309-13.
5. Shah RJ, Dixon B, Padalia D. Sphenopalatine Ganglion Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024.
6. Wu H, Zhou J, Chen J, Gu Y, Shi L, Ni H. Therapeutic efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Pain Res 2019;12:423-41.
7. Ojango C, Raguso M, Fiori R, Masala S. Pulse-dose radiofrequency treatment in pain management-initial experience. Skeletal Radiol 2018;47:609-18.
8. Yao P, Tao Hong, Wang ZB, Ma JM, Zhu YQ, Li HX, et al. Treatment of bilateral idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia by radiofrequency thermocoagulation at different temperatures. Medicine 2016;95:e4274.
9. Wu H, Zhou J, Chen J, Gu Y, Shi L, Ni H. Therapeutic efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Pain Res 2019;12:423-41.
10. Bick SKB, Eskandar EN. Surgical Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia. Neurosurg Clin N Am 2017;28:429-38.
11. Tai AX, Nayar VV. Update on Trigeminal Neuralgia. Curr Treat Options Neurol 2019;21:42.
12. Tyler-Kabara EC, Kassam AB, Horowitz MH, Urgo L, Hadjipanayis C, Levy EI, et al., Predictors of outcome in surgically managed patients with typical and atypical trigeminal neuralgia: comparison of results following microvascular decompression. J Neurosurg 2002;96:527-31.
13. Bartindale M, Kircher M, Adams W, Balasubramanian N, Liles J, Bell J, et al., Hearing Loss following Posterior Fossa Microvascular Decompression: A Systematic Review. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2018;158:62-75.
14. Lee S, Park SK, Joo BE, Lee JA, Park K. Vascular Complications in Microvascular Decompression: A Survey of 4000 Operations. World Neurosurg 2019;130:e577-82.
15. Xia L, Zhong J, Zhu J, Wang YN, Dou NN, Liu MX, et al. Effectiveness and safety of microvascular decompression surgery for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia: a systematic review. J Craniofac Surg 2014;25:1413-7.
16. Lopez BC, Hamlyn PJ, Zakrzewska JM. Systematic review of ablative neurosurgical techniques for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. Neurosurgery 2004;54:973-82; discussion 982-3.
17. Higuchi Y, Nashold Jr BS, Sluijter M, Cosman E, Pearlstein RD. Exposure of the dorsal root ganglion in rats to pulsed radiofrequency currents activates dorsal horn lamina I and II neurons. Neurosurgery 2002;50:850-5; discussion 856.
18. Zundert JV, Brabant S, de Kelft EV, Vercruyssen A, Van Buyten JP. Pulsed radiofrequency treatment of the Gasserian ganglion in patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. Pain 2003;104:449-52.
19. Singh S, Verma R, Kumar M, Rastogi V, Bogra J. Experience with conventional radiofrequency thermorhizotomy in patients with failed medical management for trigeminal neuralgia. Korean J Pain 2014;27:260-5.
20. Agarwal A, Rastogi S, Bansal M, Kumar S, Malviya D, Thacker AK. Radiofrequency Treatment of Idiopathic Trigeminal Neuralgia (Conventional vs. Pulsed): A Prospective Randomized Control Study. Anesth Essays Res 2021;15:14-9.
21. Huibin Q, Jianxing L, Guangyu H, Dianen F. The treatment of first division idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia with radiofrequency thermocoagulation of the peripheral branches compared to conventional radiofrequency. J Clin Neurosci 2009;16:1425-9.
22. Hong T, Ding Y, Yao P. Long-Term Efficacy and Complications of Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation at Different Temperatures for the Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia. Biochem Res Int 2020;2020:3854284.
23. Li X, Ni J, Yang L, Wu B, He M, Zhang X, et al. A prospective study of Gasserian ganglion pulsed radiofrequency combined with continuous radiofrequency for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. J Clin Neurosci 2012;19:824-8.
24. Fouad W. Management of trigeminal neuralgia by radiofrequency thermocoagulation. Alexandria J Med 2011;47:79-86.
25. Zhao WX, Wang Q, He MW, Yang LQ, Wu BS, Ni JX. Radiofrequency thermocoagulation combined with pulsed radiofrequency helps relieve postoperative complications of trigeminal neuralgia. Genet Mol Res 2015;14:7616-23.
26. Yao P, Hong T, Zhu YQ, Li HX, Wang ZB, Ding YY, et al. Efficacy and safety of continuous radiofrequency thermocoagulation plus pulsed radiofrequency for treatment of V1 trigeminal neuralgia: A prospective cohort study. Medicine (Baltimore) 2016;95:e5247.
27. Yao P, Deng YY, Hong T, Wang ZB, Ma JM, Zhu YQ, et al. Radiofrequency thermocoagulation for V2/V3 idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia: effect of treatment temperatures on long-term clinical outcomes: A Cohort Study. Medicine (Baltimore) 2016;95:e4019.
28. Liu P, Zhong W, Liao C, Yang M, Zhang W. The Role of Percutaneous Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation for Persistent or Recurrent Trigeminal Neuralgia After Surgery. J Craniofac Surg 2016;27:e752-5.
29. Zheng S, Wu B, Zhao Y, Wang X, Li X, Yang L, et al. Masticatory Muscles Dysfunction after CT-guided Percutaneous Trigeminal Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation for Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Detailed Analysis. Pain Pract 2015;15:712-9.
Files
IssueVol 61 No 9 (2023) QRcode
SectionArticles
DOI https://doi.org/10.18502/acta.v61i9.15291
Keywords
Trigeminal neuralgia Pulse dose radiofrequency

Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
1.
Sheikhhosseini S, Nazemian Yazdi NA. Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Using Pulse Dose Radiofrequency for Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia. Acta Med Iran. 2024;61(9):578-581.