What is the pathology of trigeminal neuralgia

I believe everyone has heard of trigeminal neuralgia, even if they are not clear about the specific process and content. Because we often see various hospitals on TV or on the Internet claiming that they specialize in treating trigeminal neuralgia. But what exactly is trigeminal neuralgia? What are its principles? Today let’s take a look at the pathology of trigeminal neuralgia!

Trigeminal neuralgia is a common neurosurgical disease that generally occurs in middle-aged and elderly women over the age of 40. Once the disease occurs, it will have a great impact on the body and mind. So what are the specific causes of trigeminal neuralgia? Let’s take a look.

The trigeminal nerve is the fifth cranial nerve, which controls the sensation and chewing movement of the ipsilateral side of the face. The trigeminal nerve is formed by the confluence of the ophthalmic branch (first branch), the maxillary branch (second branch), and the mandibular branch (third branch), which respectively control the sensation above the palpebral fissure, between the palpebral fissure and oral fissure, and below the oral fissure and the contraction of the chewing muscles. Damage to the trigeminal nerve may cause impairment of facial sensation and chewing movements.

Trigeminal neuralgia is a short-term, recurrent paroxysmal severe pain in the distribution area of ​​the trigeminal nerve in the face, also known as painful tics. From the perspective of etiology, trigeminal neuralgia can be divided into two categories: primary trigeminal neuralgia and symptomatic trigeminal neuralgia.

In the past, it was believed that primary trigeminal neuralgia had no special pathological changes. In recent years, the causes of trigeminal neuralgia have been further understood, which can be roughly summarized into the following two reasons:

⑴ The paroxysmal nature of trigeminal neuralgia of central etiology suggests a sensory epileptic-like discharge, which may be located within the trigeminal spinal nucleus or other parts of the central nervous system. The sudden onset of trigeminal neuralgia, its short duration, the presence of trigger points, the effectiveness of antiepileptic treatment, and the presence of focal epileptiform discharges recorded in the midbrain during attacks all support the central etiology. However, this theory is difficult to explain many phenomena seen in clinical practice.

⑵ Peripheral causes refer to the causes in the posterior root part between the semilunar ganglion and the pons. Most literature reports tend to favor peripheral lesions, and there are the following theories: ① Mechanical compression or traction of the trigeminal nerve root, mainly due to compression of the trigeminal nerve root by nearby blood vessels. ②Arteriosclerosis causes insufficient blood supply to the trigeminal nerve. ③Multiple sclerosis or spontaneous demyelinating disease. ④Familial trigeminal neuralgia. Most clinical data indicate that vascular compression of the trigeminal nerve root is the main cause of primary trigeminal neuralgia.

The above is some knowledge about the pathology of trigeminal neuralgia that we have prepared for you today. I believe you can gain something from it. Trigeminal neuralgia belongs to the neurological field and is not easy to treat. Therefore, I hope everyone can go to a professional and regular hospital for treatment and do not be superstitious about roadside advertisements, so as not to delay the treatment and waste money.