Review article
https://doi.org/10.20471/acc.2022.61.s2.12
Treatment Options for Trigeminal Neuralgia
Ivan Radoš
; Clinical Hospital Center Osijek, Osijek, Croatia; Faculty of Medicine Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
Abstract
Trigeminal neuralgia causes severe to excruciating pain that often cannot
be successfully reduced with current forms of treatment. The International Association for the
Study of Pain (IASP) defines trigeminal neuralgia as a sudden, usually unilateral, powerful, short,
stabbing, recurrent episode of pain in the distribution of one or more branches of the trigeminal
nerve. Trigeminal neuralgia can be caused by vascular compression of the trigeminal nerve or a tumor
process. Pressure on the nerve itself causes nerve demyelination, which is the cause of abnormal
depolarization, resulting in the development of ectopic impulses. Pain can be provoked by brushing
teeth, shaving, eating, cold, heat, etc. After diagnosing trigeminal neuralgia, magnetic resonance
imaging should be performed to rule out multiple sclerosis, a tumor process that can secondarily cause
trigeminal neuralgia. The drug of choice for treating trigeminal neuralgia is still carbamazepine. If
pharmacological treatment fails, invasive surgical microvascular decompression, stereotactic radiation
therapy (gamma knife), percutaneous balloon micro compression, percutaneous glycerol rhizolysis,
and percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) may be used.
Keywords
Trigeminal neuralgia; Unilateral Facial Pain; Ganglion Gasseri
Hrčak ID:
284404
URI
Publication date:
1.9.2022.
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