CLINICAL AND THERAPEUTIC ASPECTS OF TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a facial pain that can affect one or more branches of the trigeminal nerve. This disease can be classified as classic, secondary, or idiopathic, with the former being the most prevalent and associated with neurovascular compression. Diagnosis is guided by established criteria from the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3). Therefore, therapeutic approach should be individualized, considering the type of TN, response to treatment, and patient profile. Objective: The aim of this review is to provide an updated overview of the characteristics of trigeminal neuralgia, including its etiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis for healthcare professionals, especially dentists. Methodology: This article is a descriptive, qualitative, and bibliographic literature review, using the Scopus, Science Direct, and PubMed databases as sources. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and defined descriptors, 19 articles were selected for this literature review. Results: The selected studies addressed multiple aspects of trigeminal neuralgia, including pathophysiology, diagnosis, and the main therapeutic approaches adopted. Conclusion: In summary, it could be concluded that TN is a chronic condition that significantly compromises quality of life, requiring early diagnosis and multidisciplinary therapeutic management for effective pain control on an individualized basis.