Trigeminal neuralgia: An overview of the clinical entity

Abstract

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a rare neurological disease that causes sudden, severe, brief, stabbing recurrent episodes of facial pain in one or more branches of the trigeminal nerve. Over the last few decades, there is evidence that TN may be a result of compression of the trigeminal nerve root at or near the dorsal root entry zone by a blood vessel. TN is treated on an outpatient basis, unless neurosurgical intervention is required. Treatment can be subdivided into pharmacologic therapy, percutaneous procedures, surgery, and radiosurgery. Medical therapy is often sufficient and effective, allowing surgical consideration only if pharmacological treatment fails. Medical therapy alone is an adequate treatment for 75% of patients