Clinical Manual of Trigeminal Neuralgia PDF

Preface

Trigeminal neuralgia is not the most common painful affliction of the face; however, it may be the most severe. Individuals who have experienced even one of these cataclysmic episodes state that their lives are forever changed. They remember their first attack as if it were yesterday. Women say that trigeminal neuralgia attacks eclipse even the pain of childbirth. The fear of the next attack haunts these unfortunate individuals, and some even consider death a viable alternative to life with these attacks.

The Clinical Manual of Trigeminal Neuralgia is written to enhance the knowledge of clinicians who treat patients with trigeminal neuralgia: to better their working knowledge of the diagnosis, the disease, the medications now being prescribed, and the neurosurgical techniques that are available, and to offer ideas for the more refractory cases. It is written so that patients will be able to read these chapters and increase their knowledge of the treatment options that are available to them.

Chapters 1 and 2 cover the evaluation and differential diagnosis of the patient with facial pain. Chapter 3 reviews the pathophysiology of trigeminal neuralgia. Chapters 4 and 5 cover the medical management and surgical management, respectively, and chapter 6 presents additional ideas for refractory cases.

Our desire in writing this book was to enable clinicians to more easily recognize and diagnose trigeminal neuralgia. The disorder often goes unrecognized or is mistaken for other causes of facial pain, and this misdiagnosis leads to unsuccessful treatments and prolonged suffering. When clinicians are familiar with the diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia and the newest medications and advancements in surgical techniques, patients will be diagnosed earlier and have more treatment options than ever.

It was our own patients persistent efforts to overcome the pain of trigeminal neuralgia that inspired us to write this book, and if it achieves its goals, then trigeminal neuralgia patients everywhere shall benefit