Psychological status before and after surgery in patients with trigeminal neuralgia.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the psychological status in patients with trigeminal neuralgia before surgery and in the early postoperative period after microvascular decompression of the trigeminal nerve. METHODS: Psychological features of personality were studied in 56 patients aged from 28 to 80 years with trigeminal neuralgia. To study the psychological status, such scales as Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Pain Catastrophizing Scale and Patient's Subjective Assessment of Treatment Effectiveness Scale (PSATES) were used with special attention paid to presence of suicidal thoughts. RESULTS: The signs of anxiety were clinically significant in 7%, absent - in 66 % of the patients. There were no signs of depression in 63 % of cases, while 7% of the patients suffered from clinically significant depression. Pain catastrophizing was observed in 76.8 % of patients. None of the patients rated the intervention as "excellent" on PSATES despite the complete pain relief in the majority of patients (78.6 %), and only 16.1 % of the patients rated it as "good". The aggravation factor had a significant influence on this evaluation (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: General psychological status assessment can be used to objectify the indicators of the questionnaires and pain scales, as well as to determine the treatment tactics in this group, especially when it is necessary to clarify indications for an intervention and to decide on its proper time. Regardless of the outcome, the patients need time and psychological help for social adaptation due to changes in their social status.

What Tactics Should a Surgeon Choose to Treat a Black Extracerebral Tumor? A Case Report of Psammomatous Melanotic Schwannoma of the Meckel Cave and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Neoplasms located in the Meckel cave account for 0.2%-0.5% of all intracranial tumors. This area is the site of many types of pathologic lesions, most often trigeminal nerve schwannomas and meningiomas. Melanin-containing tumors are rare in this area. These tumor types can be suspected if the magnetic resonance characteristics of a tumor has some differences in comparison with other types of central nervous system neoplasms. In fact, differential diagnosis of melanotic tumors is based mainly on the histopathologic criteria and immunohistochemical profile. This article presents a case report of melanotic schwannoma of the Meckel cave and a literature review of the problem. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 23-year-old man underwent a 2-stage surgery for a dumbbell pigmented mass lesion located in the Meckel cave. No signs of recurrence were seen on follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 3.5 years after the operation. CONCLUSIONS: Melanin-containing tumor can be suspected in the presence of radiologic characteristics, such as a hyperintense MRI signal on T1-weighted images and a hypointense signal on T2-weighted images. If a black extracerebral tumor is detected, the main course of surgical treatment is maximal excision despite it possibly being a malignant melanoma and the temptation to perform partial resection because of an unfavorable prognosis. Chemotherapy can be justified in the presence of an aggressive melanotic schwannoma.

Motor Cortex Stimulation for Deafferentation Pain.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Since the early 1990s, motor cortex stimulation (MCS) has been a unique treatment modality for patients with drug-resistant deafferentation pain. While underpowered studies and case reports have limited definitive, data-driven analysis of MCS in the past, recent research has brought new clarity to the MCS literature and has helped identify appropriate indications for MCS and its long-term efficacy. RECENT FINDINGS: In this review, new research in MCS, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are analyzed and compared with historical landmark papers. Currently, MCS is effective in providing relief to 40-64% of patients, with decreasing analgesic effect over time addressed by altering stimulation settings. rTMS and tDCS, two historic, non-invasive stimulation techniques, are providing new alternatives for the treatment of deafferentation pain, with rTMS finding utility in identifying MCS responders. Future advances in electrode arrays, neuro-navigation, and high-definition tDCS hold promise in providing pain relief to growing numbers of patients. Deafferentation pain is severe, disabling, and remains a challenge for patients and providers alike. Over the last several years, the MCS literature has been revitalized with studies and meta-analyses demonstrating MCS effectiveness and providing guidance in identifying responders. At the same time, rTMS and tDCS, two time-honored non-invasive stimulation techniques, are finding new utility in managing deafferentation pain and identifying good MCS candidates. As the number of potential therapies grow, the clinician's role is shifting to personalizing treatment to the unique pain of each patient. With new treatment modalities, this form of personalized medicine is more possible than ever before.