Diagnosis and management of traumatic neuropathy

Introduction. Traumatic trigeminal neuropathy in neurological practice occurs relatively rarely.
Objectives. To study clinical and neurophysiological features of traumatic trigeminal neuropathy caused by orthognathic surgeries.
Materials and methods. Patients (n=24; aged 23–56 years) undergone orthognathic surgery, in short-term postoperative period (no more than 1 month since the surgery) received a therapeutic course of rhythmic magnetic stimulation. Stimulation pulse was 1–1.5 T, pulsing frequency 1 Hz, duration of the treatment 15–20 minutes daily, the course of treatment 10 days. Acoustic brainstem and trigeminal evoked potentials were recorded.
Results. The clinical picture of post-operative trigeminal neuropathy is dominated by hypoesthesia of varying severity, and the trigger zone of the face and in the mouth are not determined. Tenderness of trigeminal nerve exit point was observed in 2nd, 3rd as well as in all three branches of the trigeminal nerve. In the study of acoustic brainstem evoked potentials there were identified changes at the medulla-pontine level more evident on one side (usually on the right), shortening of the latent periods of three peaks, I–III–V peaks amplitudes increase on both sides, and confluence of II–III peaks, mostly on one side. Reduction of latency and increase of amplitude of trigeminal evoked potentials components indicate dysfunction of the trigeminal system on both sides. Clinical effect expressed in improvement of sensitive disturbanses after the course of rhythmic magnetic stimulation was observed in 83% of patients; at the same time there was observed some delay of improvement of neurophysiological symptoms.
Conclusion. Clinical-neurophysiological dissociation after the course of rhythmic magnetic stimulation can be explained by the short term of the course, incomplete recovery of functions of the structures involved in the stimuli conduction, as well as by the lack of adequate medical support.