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Original Research | Medicine Science | Volume 15 Issue 7, July 2026 | Pages: 1149 - 1155 | Mexico
Fluoroscopy-Guided Platelet-Rich Plasma Infiltration of the Gasser Ganglion for Refractory Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Retrospective Longitudinal Cohort Study
Abstract: Background and objective: Refractory trigeminal neuralgia (TN) affects 12-35% of patients, with no response to conventional strategies. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has emerged as a promising regenerative therapy owing to its neurotrophic and anti-inflammatory properties. Objective: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of percutaneous PRP infiltration targeting the Gasser ganglion in patients with refractory TN. Materials and methods: Observational, retrospective and longitudinal study. We included 17 patients with TN refractory to conventional treatment (ICHD-3, V2/V3 distribution) who received 1 mL of autologous PRP by percutaneous fluoroscopic approach. The primary endpoints were the Visual Analog Scale (VAS, 0-10) and the neuropathic pain scale (NPS, 0-100), assessed at baseline, 7 days, 1, 3 and 6 months. Pharmacological reduction and adverse events were recorded as secondary outcomes. Comparisons across follow-up were performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Mean age was 63.5 ± 7.0 years; 88.2% women. VAS decreased from 8.6 ± 1.1 to 1.0 ± 0.9 at six months (88.6%; p = 0.0003), and NPS from 82.4 ± 8.3 to 9.4 ± 9.0 (88.0%; p = 0.0003). Mean analgesic medication requirements decreased by 89.4% ± 9.0 at six months. Conclusions: This retrospective observational cohort demonstrated that fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous platelet-rich plasma infiltration of the Gasser ganglion was associated with progressive and sustained reductions in pain intensity, neuropathic pain, and analgesic requirements over six months without major procedure-related complications. Although limited by its retrospective design and relatively small sample size, these findings support prospective controlled trials to confirm long-term efficacy, safety, and the role of PRP within multimodal treatment strategies for refractory trigeminal neuralgia.
Keywords: trigeminal neuralgia, platelet-rich plasma, Gasser ganglion, neuropathic pain, regenerative medicine
How to Cite?: Saucedo-Padilla Juan Manuel, Perez-Limon Susana Gabriela, Rosales-Esquivel Paola Ivonne, Acosta-Fierro Ana Gabriela, Morales-Zapien Jesus Roberto, "Fluoroscopy-Guided Platelet-Rich Plasma Infiltration of the Gasser Ganglion for Refractory Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Retrospective Longitudinal Cohort Study", Volume 15 Issue 7, July 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1149-1155, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26709045219, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26709045219