Background & Aims

Trigeminal herpetic neuralgia (THN) presents with severe pain, allodynia. The current clinical treatments are unsatisfactory. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of short-term trigeminal ganglion stimulation in treating patients with multi-branch THN.

Methods

From July 2021 to October 2022, we enrolled 20 cases of multi-branch THN who received short-term trigeminal ganglion stimulation under general anesthesia. The Visual analog scale (VAS) and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) were used to assess the pain and sleep before and 12 months after the surgery, respectively. The Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) score was used to determine the outcome of pain relief, which was classified as good (BNI I – II) or bad (BNI III – V), and complications were recorded.

Results

The pain intensity and sleep quality of all patients who underwent trigeminal ganglion stimulation in the present study were significantly improved compared to those before the surgery (P < 0.001). The good rate of BNI score was 80% and 85% in 3 and 12 months after surgery. During the surgery, 2 patients experienced transient trigeminal cardiac reflex. There were no other serious complications.

Conclusions

Short-term trigeminal ganglion stimulation can be used safely and effectively to treat patients with multi-branch THN.

References

Presenting Author

Yi Yan

Poster Authors

Yi Yan PhD

PHD

The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, China

Lead Author

Daying Zhang

The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University

Lead Author

Yong Zhang

The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University

Lead Author

Mengye Zhu

The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University

Lead Author

Topics

  • Treatment/Management: Interventional Therapies – Neuromodulation