• Tong-Qing Xue, Qian-Xi Zhang, Hu Bian, Peng-Cheng Zhou, Cheng Liu, Shang-Fu Niu, Zhi-Bing Wang, Wen-Jie Shi, and Cong-Yang Yan.
• Department of Pain and Intervention Management, Huaian Hospital of Huaian City, Huaian, Jiangsu, China.
• Pain Physician. 2019 Nov 1; 22 (6): E609-E614.

BackgroundPercutaneous radiofrequency thermocoagulation through the foramen rotundum (FR) is a new approach for the treatment of V2 trigeminal neuralgia (TN).ObjectivesThis study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of the FR approach with that of the foramen ovale (FO) approach.Study DesignNonrandomized controlled clinical trial.SettingThe study was conducted at Huaian Hospital of Huaian City, Huaian, China.MethodsFrom July 2014 to December 2016, 80 consecutive patients with V2 TN were prospectively assigned into the FO group (n = 40) or the FR group (n = 40). All radiofrequency thermocoagulation procedures were performed under the guidance of digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Patients in the FO group were treated with Gasserian ganglion ablation through the Hartel approach. Patients in the FR group received ablation of the maxillary nerve at the internal opening of the FR. Facial pain was evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale preoperatively and postoperatively at 1 week, 6 months, and 1 year.ResultsAll surgical procedures were successfully completed using DSA guidance. The FR group had no facial pain at postoperative 1 week, 6 months, and 1 year. The facial fain was not relieved in 4 patients of the FO group. They were treated with radiofrequency thermocoagulation of the maxillary nerve through the FR and maintained painless at postoperative 1 week, 6 months, and 1 year. At postoperative 1 year, another 3 patients relapsed in the FO group. The incidences of facial numbness and swelling did not differ significantly between the 2 groups (all P > 0.05). There was no postoperative corneal involvement or masticatory weakness in the FR group. However, corneal involvement and masticatory weakness occurred postoperatively in 22 (55%) patients and 31 (77.5%) patients in the FO group. The FR group had significantly shorter operation time than the FO group (19.3 ± 5.9 vs. 32.7 ± 8.7 minutes; P < 0.05).LimitationsWe were unable to avoid the V1 and V3 branches, despite multiple adjustments of the needed position in 35 of the 40 patients in this group.ConclusionsFor the treatment of V2 TN, thermocoagulation of the maxillary nerve through the FR had better efficacy and fewer complications in comparison with the Gasserian ganglion ablation through the FO.Key WordsNeuralgia, pain, radiology, facial pain.

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