Morita M, Hosobuchi Y
Department of Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco.
Stereotact Funct Neurosurg. 1992;59(1-4):52-5. doi: 10.1159/000098917.
Percutaneous rhizotomy, microvascular decompression or rhizotomy by suboccipital craniotomy often cures medically untreatable trigeminal neuralgia with an acceptable complication rate. However, pain involving the same trigeminal distribution persists in a few patients despite both rhizotomies. For 7 patients with such surgically 'failed' trigeminal neuralgia, we performed descending trigeminal tractotomy. In all patients, neuralgia ceased immediately postoperatively and has not recurred during 9 months to 15 years follow-up. Descending trigeminal tractotomy provides a satisfactory solution to this relatively rare but paroxysmal pain syndrome.
