Clinical study on the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia and post-herpetic neuralgia with botulinum toxin type A

Objective To observe the clinical effect of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) on trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN).

Methods Thirty-three patients with TN or PHN were treated by subcutaneous or intradermal injection of BTX-A into the pain area, the patients' numerical rating scale (NRS), sleep status and quality of life (QOL) at the time of treatment, 2 weeks after treatment, and 3 months after treatment were evaluated, the treatment effect and the drug adverse reactions were analyzed.

Results After 2 weeks and 3 months of treatment with BTX- A, NRS and sleep score of the patients were significantly lower than those at the time of treatment (P < 0.05), QOL was significantly higher than that at the time of treatment (P < 0.05). Treatment effect was good and few side effects were observed.

Conclusions BTX-A is effective in treating TN and PHN and can become a new therapeutic approach for neuropathic pain.