Objectives: Glycerol rhizotomy is an established treatment for medically refractory trigeminal neuralgia in select cases where microvascular decompression is contraindicated or not preferred. The standard approach is to inject a fixed volume of glycerol using Hartel's technique into Meckel's cave. We discuss a 'volume-maximised' technique of measuring the volume of Meckel's cave using intra-operative fluoroscopy and injecting an equivalent volume of glycerol such that every patient receives a tailored quantity of glycerol dependent on the volume of Meckel's cave. The safety and efficacy of this approach is analysed.
Methods: A retrospective analysis of 53 procedures where volume-maximised glycerol rhizolysis was utilised over a 7-year period (2012 -2018) at a single centre by the senior author was carried out. The incidence and duration of pain freedom and complications incurred over a median follow-up period of 8 years were analysed.
Results: 37 procedures were carried out for typical trigeminal neuralgia, 13 for secondary trigeminal neuralgia, and 3 for atypical trigeminal neuralgia. Overall, pain freedom was achieved in 85% cases, and 92% in patients with typical trigeminal neuralgia. Median duration of pain freedom in patients with typical trigeminal neuralgia was 63 months, versus 6 months in those with secondary trigeminal neuralgia (p < 0.00001). 14 procedures (26.4%) resulted in mild and temporary complications. 54.7% of cases experienced hypoaesthesia in a distribution similar to or less extensive than the distribution of trigeminal neuralgia. The presence of hypoaesthesia post-procedure was highly predictive of longer pain freedom (95 months versus 8 months median pain freedom (p = 0.00003)).
Conclusions: Volume-maximised glycerol injection is safe and effective when compared to literature-reported outcomes post-standard volume glycerol injections. The duration of pain freedom achieved exceeds most literature-reported studies, with hypoaesthesia outcomes being comparable with previous studies. Pain freedom outcomes are more favourable in those with post-procedure hypoaesthesia.
Keywords: Glycerol rhizolysis; glycerol injection; percutaneous ablation; trigeminal neuralgia.