Percutaneous balloon compression for secondary trigeminal neuralgia caused by cerebellopontine angle tumors.

Abstract

The most common cause for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is vascular compression at the nerve root, and microvascular decompression (MVD) has been proven to be an effective surgical approach for this disease. For some patients, TN is secondary to the intracranial space-occupying lesion, and tumor resection is usually recommended. However, it is not easy to determine proper treatments when craniotomy is infeasible. In this study, we aim to explore the clinical outcomes of percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) for secondary TN caused by cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumors. From June 2016 to December 2019, 15 patients with TN caused by CPA tumors underwent PBC in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital. The clinical features, surgical outcomes, and complications of these patients were analyzed retrospectively. Fourteen out of the 15 patients had immediate pain relief after successful PBC, while one showed occasional pain, without needing any medication. No patients had a relapse of facial pain within a mean follow-up of 32.5 months. As for surgical complications, 14 patients experienced facial numbness, and six had masseter muscle weakness. No patients experienced serious surgical morbidities. For the patients with TN caused by CPA tumors, PBC could be considered a useful technique, especially when craniotomy is infeasible.