A combination of low-temperature radiofrequency thermocoagulation and pulsed radiofrequency of the bilateral Gasserian ganglion for bilateral trigeminal neuralgia due to multiple sclerosis: a case report

Background: Bilateral trigeminal neuralgia secondary to multiple sclerosis is an extremely rare condition. When Gasserian ganglion block is performed, it is necessary to achieve reliable long-term analgesic effects while avoiding treatment-related complications.

Case presentation: A 49-year-old male with multiple sclerosis exhibited persistent dull pain and paroxysmal electric shock-like pain in his bilateral maxillary molars and mandible. He was diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia due to multiple sclerosis. Due to severe side effects, it was difficult to achieve adequate pain control with medication alone. By performing low-temperature radiofrequency thermocoagulation and pulsed radiofrequency of the Gasserian ganglion while monitoring masseter muscle contraction, a satisfactory and rapid analgesic effect was obtained without masticatory atonia.

Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of bilateral trigeminal neuralgia due to multiple sclerosis in which low-temperature radiofrequency thermocoagulation combined with pulsed radiofrequency was successfully performed for pain relief without masticatory atonia.