Microsurgical Resection vs Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Secondary Trigeminal Neuralgia Caused by Cerebellopontine Angle Tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis with Meta-Regression.
Uncover the best surgical option for trigeminal neuralgia caused by brain tumors - our meta-analysis reveals microsurgical resection outperforms radiosurgery in pain relief and recurrence, offering hope for those suffering from this debilitating condition.
This comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated surgical outcomes in 662 patients with secondary trigeminal neuralgia caused by cerebellopontine angle tumors. The study found that microsurgical resection achieved superior pain relief (92%) and lower recurrence rates (19%) compared to stereotactic radiosurgery, though both treatments carried a similar risk of facial numbness (18%). These findings provide valuable insights to guide clinical decision-making and improve outcomes for this challenging patient population. Limitations include the retrospective nature of the included studies and potential heterogeneity in surgical techniques and patient characteristics.