• Alberto Feletti, Giannantonio Zanata Santi, Francesco Sammartino, Marzio Bevilacqua, Piero Cisotto, and Pierluigi Longatti.
• Department of Neurosurgery, Treviso Hospital, University of Padova, 31100 Treviso, Italy. alberto.feletti@gmail.com
• Neurosurg Focus. 2013 Sep 1;35(3):E10.

ObjectPeripheral nerve field stimulation has been successfully used for many neuropathic syndromes. However, it has been reported as a treatment for trigeminal neuropathic pain or persistent idiopathic facial pain only in the recent years.MethodsThe authors present a review of the literature and their own series of 6 patients who were treated with peripheral nerve stimulation for facial neuropathic pain, reporting excellent pain relief and subsequent better social relations and quality of life.ResultsOn average, pain scores in these patients decreased from 10 to 2.7 on the visual analog scale during a 17-month follow-up (range 0-32 months). The authors also observed the ability to decrease trigeminal pain with occipital nerve stimulation, clinically confirming the previously reported existence of a close anatomical connection between the trigeminal and occipital nerves (trigeminocervical nucleus).ConclusionsPeripheral nerve field stimulation of the trigeminal and occipital nerves is a safe and effective treatment for trigeminal neuropathic pain and persistent idiopathic facial pain, when patients are strictly selected and electrodes are correctly placed under the hyperalgesia strip at the periphery of the allodynia region.

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