What is trigeminal neuralgia and how to treat it

  Trigeminal neuralgia is the most common neurological disease of the brain, mainly manifested by recurrent paroxysmal severe pain in the distribution area of the trigeminal nerve on one side of the face, with an incidence rate of 52.2/100,000 in China, slightly more in women than in men, and the incidence rate can increase with age. Trigeminal neuralgia mostly occurs in middle-aged and elderly people, with more right-sided than left-sided.  The characteristics of the disease In the distribution area of the trigeminal nerve of the head and face, the onset of the disease is sudden, abrupt, lightning-like, knife-like, burning-like, persistent, intolerable and severe pain. The pain can be severe when speaking, washing the face, brushing the teeth, or walking in the breeze, or even when walking. The pain lasts for several seconds or minutes, and it comes in periodic episodes, with intervals between attacks as in normal people.  The main etiology is the trigeminal nerve microvascular compression leading to nerve demyelination theory and epileptiform neuralgia theory.  From the current treatment 1, drug treatment: carbamazepine.  2.Surgical treatment: (1) microvascular decompression.  (2) Trigeminal nerve and semilunar ganglion closure.  (3) Percutaneous radiofrequency thermocoagulation of the semilunar ganglion.  Under general anesthesia, a 4-cm longitudinal incision is made behind the affected ear and in the hairline, and a hole is made in the skull with a diameter of about 2 cm to access the pontocerebellar angle under the microscope. Once the responsible vessels are isolated, the source of irritation disappears, and the hyperexcitability of the trigeminal nucleus disappears and returns to normal. In the vast majority of patients, the pain disappears immediately after surgery and normal facial sensation and function are preserved without affecting the quality of life.