Trigeminal neuropathy is defined as facial pain in the distribution(s) of one or more
branch(es) of the trigeminal nerve, caused by another disorder and indicative of neural
damage. The pain is usually continuous and is described as burning or squeezing. Itching
sensations are also common. This condition is difficult to treat with the current
pharmacologic armamentarium, and destructive procedures such as, for example, radiofrequency
rhizolysis or balloon compression are contraindicated because they most often aggravate
the pain. Shelden et al may have been the first to describe trigeminal neurostimulation,
albeit of the distal branches and not the Gasserian ganglion (GG) itself. Others have
since successfully treated patients with neurostimulation of the supraorbital nerve
(V1) and infraorbital (V2) divisions for trigeminal pain, but stimulation of the mandibular
division (lingual nerve) is deemed difficult.
1
Percutaneous GG neuromodulation is a treatment option for trigeminal neuropathy that
has been supported by the literature since its introduction by Steude et al, and should
be considered before more invasive techniques like deep brain stimulation or motor
cortex stimulation.To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe toAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Neuromodulation of the lingual nerve: a novel technique.J Neurosurg. 2020; 134: 1271-1275
- Placement and anchoring of trigeminal neurostimulation electrodes: technical report.Stereotact Funct Neurosurg. 2019; 97: 285-292
- Percutaneous trigeminal stimulation for intractable facial pain: a case series.Neurosurgery. 2020; 87: 547-554
- Stimulation of the Gasserian ganglion in the treatment of refractory trigeminal neuropathy.J Craniomaxillofac Surg. 2017; 45: 39-46
- Microsurgical anatomy of the trigeminal nerve.Clin Anat. 2014; 27: 61-88
Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 21, 2023
Accepted:
March 13,
2023
Received in revised form:
February 19,
2023
Received:
December 28,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofFootnotes
Conflict of Interest: The authors reported no conflict of interest.
Source(s) of financial support: The authors reported no funding sources.
Identification
Copyright
© 2023 International Neuromodulation Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
