J Korean Soc Ther Radiol Oncol.  2006 Jun;24(2):88-95.

Early Therapeutic Effects of Cyberknife Radiosurgery on Trigeminal Neuralgia

• Mun SK
• Choi BO
• Choi IB
• Kang YN
• Jang JS
• Kang KM

Abstract

PURPOSE: We evaluated whether Cyberknife radiosurgery is an effective and safe method of therapy for medically intractable trigeminal neuralgia (TN).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed the outcome of 26 patients, who failed to surgery or were not suitable candidates for invasive intervention and were treated by Cyberknife radiosurgery between March 2004 and May 2005. Radiosurgery doses of 60~64 Gy were delivered to the 80% isodose line prescribed to an 6 mm length of the nerve, sparing the most proximal 3 mm away from the trigeminal nerve root entry zone (median dose: 64 Gy).
RESULTS
Follow-up period was 3~15 months (median follow-up period: 9 months) Preliminary results from a cohort of 26 patients undergoing Cyberknife radiosurgery for TN showed that pain relief was achieved in 50% (13/26) of patients within the first 24 hrs after treatment. At last follow-up, 96.2% (25/26) of patients reported early pain relief within 7 days. Treatment failure developed in 2 of 26. Poor response occurred in one patient and relapse was observed in the other patient. 3 patients had hypoesthesia (11.5%), which was the only complication observed with any of our patients.
CONCLUSION
With these results, authors assumed that Cyberknife radiosurgery for TN could be one of safe and effective therapeutic methods.

Keyword

Trigeminal neuralgia; Cyberknife radiosurgery

MeSH Terms

Cohort Studies
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Hypesthesia
Radiosurgery*
Recurrence
Retrospective Studies
Treatment Failure
Trigeminal Nerve
Trigeminal Neuralgia*