Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Trigeminal Neuralgia Referred to Neurosurgery

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with trigeminal neuralgia referred to surgery in a center of reference. METHODS: We evaluated the general characteristics of 395 patients with trigeminal neuralgia referred to neurosurgery as treatment. They corresponded to 2 samples of 1984 and 2004. The EDOF-HC protocol (Orofacial Pain Questionnaire) and the medical profile were used. RESULTS: In the first study (1984), with 290 patients, the higher prevalence was: women (57.3%), white (95.5%), with mean age of 62.5. The most affected trigeminal branches were the maxillary and/or mandibular branches (65.5%), and the right side was the most affected (57.6%). From the second study (2004), with 105 patients, 57.1% were women, 75.2% white, with a mean age of 60.8. The maxillary and/or mandibular branches (79.0%) and the right side (69.5%) were the most affected. Both samples had neurological abnormalities and systemic diseases (mainly cardiovascular). CONCLUSIONS: General characteristics of these patients were similar to other samples of trigeminal neuralgia. Neurological findings were also present in patients with no previous surgical treatment for TN. Hypertension and cardiac diseases were also frequent and make the monitoring of the patients during crises necessary.