Background: Data on the outcomes of microsurgical resection (SR) and stereotactic gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) in patients with trigeminal neuralgia associated with small petrous apex meningiomas are scarce.
Objective: We conducted this study to evaluate the pain relief, tumor control, and procedure costs following SR and GKRS for small petroclival meningiomas (less than 3 cm in maximal diameter) using real-world data from our center in Egypt.
Material and methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 47 patients with small petrous apex meningiomas presenting with intractable trigeminal nerve pain (SR: n = 22 and GKRS: n = 25). Data regarding pain relief on Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI), procedure cost, and tumor control were retrieved and analyzed using appropriate statistical tests.
Results: Patients who underwent SR had lower median BNI pain intensity scores compared to those patients who underwent GKRS, and a significantly higher proportion of patients in the SR group had good BNI scores compared to those in GKRS group (P < 0.05); however, the total costs of SR were significantly less than GKRS (30,519$ vs. 92,372$, respectively).
Conclusion: Both SR and GKRS provide pain relief and tumor control in patients with trigeminal neuralgia associated with petrous apex meningioma. However, in the present study, SR achieved better pain control and was more affordable than GKRS.
Keywords: Gamma Knife; meningioma; microsurgery; petrous apex; skull base surgery; skull base tumors; stereotactic radiation; trigeminal neuralgia.