Papers of the Week

Trigeminal Nerve Balloon Compression (TNBC)[1-3] can provide immediate therapeutic relief to patients suffering from trigeminal neuralgia (TN). This is a particularly effective treatment option for patients who are not eligible for surgical procedures (i.e. elderly patients or patients with multiple co-morbidities) or for patients who have had an insufficient response to microvascular decompression. TNBC can also be used as a bridge treatment before Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS). Use of intraoperative DYNA-CT imaging facilitates the TNBC procedure[4, 5]. Three-dimensional DYNA-CT imaging with needle guidance allows for precise needle advancement and insertion through the foramen ovale (FO). DYNA-CT enables the direct visualization and avoidance of vascular structures such as the carotid or internal maxillary arteries and results in decreased procedure times and complications.