Treatment of trigeminal neuralgia after microvascular decompression: report of five cases

Abstract

We report five patients with recurrent trigeminal neuralgia following microvascular decompression who visited our department during January 2005 to September 2007. In all, we saw 35 patients with trigeminal neuralgia during the period. Radiofrequency thermocoagulation of the trigeminal ganglion was performed in one patient who had had drug induced hypersensitivity syndrome resulting from carbamazepine. The remaining four patients were managed with oral medications. However, because two of these four still received no relief from pain, they also underwent radiofrequency thermocoagulation, and their pain subsequently decreased.