Morphofunctional Changes in the Trigeminal Nerve in Inflammatory Diseases of the Maxillofacial Region
Keywords:
Trigeminal neuralgia, trigeminal nerve, prosopalgia, demyelination, neurovascular compression, inflammatory diseases, maxillofacial regionAbstract
Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is the most common form of prosopalgia and is characterised by brief, intense paroxysmal pain in the territory of one or more branches of the trigeminal nerve. Inflammatory and odontogenic processes of the maxillofacial region are considered among its triggering factors. The aim of this article is to analyse and summarise current data on the anatomical prerequisites, etiological factors and morphofunctional changes of the trigeminal nerve underlying TN, with particular attention to the role of inflammatory diseases of the maxillofacial region. An analytical review of foreign and Russian-language publications from 2000–2010 was carried out using comparative analysis, generalisation and systematisation. The analysis showed that the narrow bony canals through which the branches of the nerve exit, inflammatory processes leading to arachnoid adhesions, and neurovascular compression of the nerve root result in demyelination of type A fibres, formation of ectopic excitation foci and paroxysmal pain. Treatment options range from anticonvulsants to botulinum toxin and radiosurgery, but each has limitations, which justifies further research on pathogenetically oriented therapy.
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