Incidence and clinical features of trigeminal neuralgia, Rochester, Minnesota, 1945–1984

Abstract

The overall crude incidence rate of trigeminal neuralgia per 100,000 population in Rochester, Minnesota, for 1945 through 1984 was 4.3 for both sexes combined. The age-adjusted (to total 1980 US population) rate for women (5.9) was significantly higher than that for men (3.4). Annual incidence rates increased significantly with age in both women and men. Data based on evidence in the medical records suggest that trigeminal neuralgia is a rather rare and unpredictable disease: The number of episodes varies from 1 to 11, and length of episode from 1 day to 4 years. This study indicates an elevated relative risk associated with hypertension (both overall and among women in the cohort). Also, prevalence of multiple sclerosis was significantly greater among the group of 75 patients who had trigeminal neuralgia. Since the data on treatment in this study do not correspond to a randomized clinical trial, they are presented as empirical results only and show no single treatment of choice for trigeminal neuralgia.

Trigeminal Neuralgia: Frequency of Occurrence in Different Nerve Branches

“…Other reviewers have reported similar findings (5, 9, 16, 17). The present study showed that the ratio of males to females suffering from TN was 1:2, which is consistent with the results of Loh et al (18) and Shah et al (8) All these previous studies have reported that the peak age of onset is between the fifth and eighth decades of life (12,13,16,17,19,20). This trend was also seen in the current study, with the observed peak age being between the sixth and seventh decades of life.…”

“…These results were surprisingly the same as those from a previous study by Shah et al (8). Most of the published studies have revealed that the mandibular division (V3) was most commonly involved and that the ophthalmic division (V1) was less commonly presented (5,7,(9)(10)(11)(12)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24). Further, all support the typical feature of this condition in which the mandibular and maxillary (V2) divisions are more commonly involved than the ophthalmic.…”

Trigeminal Pain and Its Distribution in Different Trigeminal Nerve Branches

“…Pain of the 5 th cranial nerve is a sudden, unilateral, brief, stabbing, recurrent neuropathic pain in the distribution of one or more of the TN branches. The peak age of onset is between the 5 th and 8 th decades of life (1)(2)(3) and it is thought to be related to neurovascular compression (4).…”

“…This concurrence supports the cardinal rule of subjecting patients under 40 years of age who complain of neuralgia-like pain in their face, to a detailed neurological assessment, to exclude associated diseases such as multiple sclerosis (3,5,6). Reviewing the literature, some reports demonstrated a male predominance (1,5,6) while others showed a predominance of females at various ratios (2,7,8). The right side of the face is the most commonly effected due to the narrower foramina rotundum and ovale (7,9).…”

Efficacy and safety of lamotrigine in patients with trigeminal neuralgia: a comparison with carbamazepine

“…1 This condition has been known since ancient time and has been investigated extensively by clinicians of various fields neurosurgeons, neurologists, ophthalmologists, dentists, psychiatrists, and pathophysiologists. Still, many problems related to TN remain unknown.…”