Botulinum Toxin as a Treatment for Trigeminal Neuralgia

Abstract

Trigeminal neuralgia is a pathology whose main characteristic is severe facial pain of stabbing type, with a distribution in the trigeminal nerve, which transmits sensory information from the head and neck; the treatment of choice is pharmacological; however, botulinum toxin has shown a high efficacy in patients who have stopped responding to drugs or if these present intolerable adverse effects. The objective of this research work is to know the efficacy and safety of botulinum toxin as a treatment for trigeminal neuralgia in cases where pharmacological therapy is not sufficient for pain reduction; through an updated bibliographic search in search engines such as PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Clinical Key, complementing the information with journals such as Scielo, Scopus, reviews of randomized controlled clinical studies, systematic reviews and meta-analysis approaches. With the evidence obtained, positive results were generated for the use of botulinum toxin in TN where a reduction of more than 50% in pain was demonstrated. In conclusion, botulinum toxin is an alternative treatment option in patients with TN who do not respond to pharmacological treatment, avoiding the need for surgical interventions, BTX-A has efficacy and safety in reducing pain, since it produces few transient adverse effects.