Refractory Trigeminal Neuralgia Recurrence in Patients Treated with Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Abstract

Trigeminal neuralgia is a neuropathic disease with a craniofacial trajectory following one or all the branches of the V cranial nerve. It is characterized by paroxysmal pain of high intensity that may cause disability, with higher prevalence in females. The first line of treatment is pharmacological seeking to alleviate the symptoms, diminishing the odds of recurrence and complications. Nonetheless, this therapy has a high rate of refractoriness. As a result, other non-invasive procedures have been developed such as stereotactic surgery. This treatment offers symptom relief for a longer period allowing the patient to score between I-III range in the Barrow Neurological Institute scale; however, it can also present refractoriness. This paper was written with the objective of determining the recurrence of trigeminal neuralgia in patients that have been treated with stereotactic surgery. The current review was done using original articles from journals in English and Spanish from 2019 to 2024. Post-radiosurgery recurrence may be determined by characteristics of the disease as well as the treatment plan. Despite this, due to the safety and effectiveness, multiple interventions can be performed, with low cases of hypoesthesia and aneurysms.