The Value of Cryosurgery in the Management of Trigeminal Neuralgia: a Systematic Review

Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the evidence for pain relief and adverse effectsfollowing cryosurgery in the treatment of patients with trigeminal neuralgia through asystematic review. A praxis investigation was carried out in order to establish howcommon this treatment is among 44 Oral and Maxillofacial clinics in Sweden. Thesystematic review was conducted according to Goodman’s systematic approach. Thesearch for literature was conducted in Medline, The Web of Science and the CochraneDatabase. Out of 45 retrieved studies, six met the pre-determined inclusion criteria.The reported duration of pain relief following cryosurgery varied in a wide range(from zero days to four years). No conclusions regarding the pain relief could bedrawn from the included studies. The reported adverse effects following cryosurgerywas minor and consisted of temporary sensory loss, migration of pain to anotherdivision of the trigeminal nerve and small oedema. Five clinics that currently use acryosurgical treatment in the management of trigeminal neuralgia were identified.