The following is a summary of “Systematic review on the frequency of occurrence in nerve branches and the side of the face involved in trigeminal neuralgia and its clinical implication,” published in the March 2024 issue of Neurology by Teshome et al.
Researchers started a retrospective study to identify the most commonly affected trigeminal nerve branch and the side of the face typically involved in trigeminal neuralgia.
They conducted a systematic review encompassing studies detailing the prevalent trigeminal nerve branches and affected sides of the face in trigeminal neuralgia. They identified potential studies through targeted searches in PubMed and Google Scholar databases.
The results showed 132 published studies and only 11 were chosen for systematic review. The sample size varied from 50 to 43,518 study subjects. The review revealed that the mandibular branches of the trigeminal nerve were most commonly affected, followed by the maxillary branch. Additionally, it was identified that the right side of the face exhibited predominant involvement.
Investigators concluded that trigeminal neuralgia appeared more likely to affect the mandibular division and the right side of the face. However, further prospective studies and meta-analyses were recommended to confirm this and explore its clinical significance.
Source: frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2024.1362602/full