Do prostaglandins E2, F2 alpha and D2 have a role in the development of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia?

Idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN), resistant to the drug treatment was diagnosed in 20 patients using following parameters: clinical feature, usage of Bell-McGill questionnaire, as well as X-ray and neurophysiologic examinations. Peripheral neurectomy was performed in all of them as a palliative therapeutic procedure. In removed nerves of patients (n. infraorbitalis, n. alveolaris inferior), as well as in the same nerves of cadavers, the concentrations of prostaglandins (PGs) E2, F2 alpha and D2 were determined using commercial radioimmunoassay. Significant increase in PGE2 and PGF2 alpha concentration and simultaneous decrease in PGD2 concentration in the nerves of the patients with ITN was noticed. Results demonstrated that the increase in the concentration of hyperalgesic PGE2 and PGF2 alpha as well as the decrease in hypoalgesic PGD2 concentration had an important role in the onset of neuralgic pain in patients with ITN.