Intravenous fosphenytoin for acute exacerbation of trigeminal neuralgia: Case report and literature review

摘要

Trigeminal neuralgia is an episodic unilateral facial pain described by patients as a shooting of lancinating pain, or as an electric-shock sensation. It is often provoked by light touch, eating, cold wind, or other sensory stimulus of the trigeminal nerve. Common medications for treatment include carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, baclofen, lamotrigine, gabapentin, and pregabalin [Zakrzewska and Linskey, 2014]. Scant literature exists regarding other medications that may be effective [Cruccu and Truini, 2013]. We describe a case of refractory trigeminal neuralgia which responded to intravenous fosphenytoin infusion.