Objective-To examine surgical findings and results of microvascular decompression (MVD) for trigeminal neuralgia (TN), including patients with multiple sclerosis, to bring new insight about the role of microvascular compression in the pathogenesis of the disorder and the role of MVD in its treatment. Methods-Between 1990 and 1998, 250 patients aVected by trigeminal neuralgia underwent MVD in the Department of Neurosurgery of the "Istituto Nazionale Neurologico C Besta" in Milan. Limiting the review to the period 1991-6, to exclude the "learning period" (the first 50 cases) and patients with less than 1 year follow up, surgical findings and results were critically analysed in 148 consecutive cases, including 10 patients with multiple sclerosis. Results-Vascular compression of the trigeminal nerve was found in all cases. The recurrence rate was 15.3% (follow up 1-7 years, mean 38 months). In five of 10 patients with multiple sclerosis an excellent result was achieved (follow up 12-39 months, mean 24 months). Patients with TN for more than 84 months did significantly worse than those with a shorter history (p<0.05). There was no mortality and most complications occurred in the learning period. Surgical complications were not related to age of the patients. Conclusions-Aetiopathogenesis of trigeminal neuralgia remains a mystery. These findings suggest a common neuromodulatory role of microvascular compression in both patients with or without multiple sclerosis rather than a direct causal role. MVD was found to be a safe and eVective procedure to relieve typical TN in patients of all ages. It should be proposed as first choice surgery to all patients aVected by TN, even in selected cases with multiple sclerosis, to give them the opportunity of pain relief without sensory deficits. and fully recognised and popularised by Jannetta 3 was a milestone in the management of medically intractable trigeminal neuralgia.In the past 30 years thousands of patients have undergone successful microvascular decompression and today it represents one of the most widely used surgical options for trigeminal neuralgia. Several studies agree on high rate of long term success and even authors against the concept of microvascular compression perform it for its eVectiveness. 4 Controversies still exist about the role of vascular compression in the pathogenesis of the disorder, the possible involvement of the same mechanism also in patients aVected by multiple sclerosis, the existence of reliable prognostic factors, and the role of microvascular decompression in elderly patients.To bring new insight about these topics we critically reviewed 250 patients, including 10 patients aVected by multiple sclerosis, all operated on by the same surgeon (GB). Patients and methodsBetween 1990 and 1998, 250 patients aVected by trigeminal neuralgia (TN) underwent microvascular decompression (MVD) in the Department of Neurosurgery of the "Istituto Nazionale Neurologico C. Besta" in Milan. Our review was limited to 146 patients treated in the period 19...

Objective For many medical professionals dealing with patients with persistent pain following spine surgery, the term failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) as a diagnostic label is inadequate, misleading and potentially troublesome. It misrepresents causation. Alternative terms have been suggested but none has replaced FBSS. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) published a revised classification of chronic pain, as part of the new International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), which has been accepted by the World Health Organization (WHO). This includes the term Chronic pain after spinal surgery (CPSS), which is suggested as a replacement for FBSS. Methods This article provides arguments and rationale for a replacement definition. In order to propose a broadly applicable yet more precise and clinically informative term, an international group of experts was established. Results 14 candidate replacement terms were considered and ranked. The application of agreed criteria reduced this to a shortlist of four. A preferred option – Persistent spinal pain syndrome – was selected by a structured workshop and Delphi process. We provide rationale for using Persistent spinal pain syndrome and a schema for its incorporation into ICD-11. We propose the adoption of this term would strengthen the new ICD-11 classification. Conclusions This project is important to those in the fields of pain management, spine surgery and neuromodulation, as well as patients labelled with FBSS. Through a shift in perspective it could facilitate the application of the new ICD-11 classification and allow clearer discussion amongst medical professionals, industry, funding organisations, academia, and the legal profession.

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The origin and the neural pathways involved in chronic neuropathic pain are still not extensively understood. For this reason, despite the wide variety of pain medications available on the market, neuropathic pain is challenging to treat. The present therapeutic alternative considered as the gold standard for many kinds of chronic neuropathic pain is epidural spinal cord stimulation (SCS). Despite its proved efficacy, the favourable cost-effectiveness when compared to the long-term use of poorly effective drugs and the expanding array of indications and technical improvements, SCS is still worldwide largely neglected by general practitioners, neurologists, neurosurgeons and pain therapists, often bringing to a large delay in considering as a therapeutic option for patients affected by neuropathic chronic pain. The present state of the art of SCS in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain is here overviewed and speculations on whether to use a trial period or direct implant, to choose between percutaneous leads or paddle electrodes and on the pros and cons of the different patterns of stimulation presently available on the market (tonic stim, high-frequency stim and burst stim) are described.

A multicentric study on the treatment of nonmalignant chronic pain with epidural spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been carried out in 32 Italian centers devoted to pain therapy. Neurosurgical and anesthesiology units participated in this retrospective study. 410 of the eligible patients were enrolled in the protocol: 48% were male, 52% female. All patients underwent a screening test period (average 21 days) and 74% underwent the definitive implant. The diagnosis was failed back surgery syndrome in 45%, reflex sympathetic dystrophy in 15%, phantom limb pain in 14%, postherpetic neuralgia in 8%, peripheral nerve injury in 5%, others 13%. 84% received noninvasive unsuccessful treatment (10 tensor acupuncture). All had previous pharmacological therapy which was not always discontinued when SCS took place. Pain assessment had been done with the visual analog scale and verbal scale both subjectively and by the physician and nurses. Neuropsychological profile with minimal mental test or MMPI was obtained in 68% of the patients. These results were favorable (i.e. excellent or good; more than 50% reduction of pain) in 87% of the patients at the 3-month follow-up, 75% at the 6-month follow-up, 69% at the 1-year follow-up, and 58% at the 2-year follow-up. Complication rate was: dislocation of the electrocatheter 4%, technical problems 3%, infections of the system 2%. The results will be discussed in correlation with the different etiologies of the nonmalignant chronic pain syndrome.