Trigeminal neuralgia: a retrospective study of 188 Thai cases.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the clinical characteristics and treatment of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) in a group of Thai patients.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Records of 188 patients with TN were reviewed retrospectively for patient demographics, the characteristics of the pain and treatment modalities.

RESULTS

Of the 188 patients, 37.2% were men and 62.8% were women. The peak incidence (46.8%) was in the age range of 50-69 years. Pain occurred on the right side of the face more often than on the left (1.8:1). The mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve was the most frequently affected (30.3%), followed by the combined maxillary and mandibular divisions (29.3%) and the maxillary division alone (25%). The majority described their attack as a sharp pain (77.6%), and the most common primary locations were at previous extraction sites (40.5%). The most common triggers were chewing (61.2%) and speaking (47.3%). Carbamazepine was the most common prescribed drug (76.1%) for the initial treatment. Combination drug therapy was introduced when the monotherapy failed to control the pain. Surgical intervention was the alternative choice of treatment in refractory cases.

CONCLUSION

TN affected women more than men, and this disorder occurred most frequently in patients aged 50 years and older. The mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve was most commonly involved.