• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.200-206
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• 2008

A variety of mechanisms may generate pain resulting from injury to the peripheral nervous system. None of these mechanisms is disease-specific, and several different pain mechanisms may be present simultaneously in any one patient. Diagnosis of neuropathic pain is often easily made from the information gathered on neurologic examination and from patient history. Evidence of sensory disturbances elicited by examination combined with laboratory tests confirming injury to peripheral nerve establishes the diagnosis of neuropathic pain. Although treatment of neuropathic pain may be difficult, optimum treatment can be achieved if dentist has a complete understanding of the therapeutic options. Pharmacologic therapy has been the mainstay of treatment. Selection of an appropriate pharmacologic agent is by trial and error since individual response to different agents, doses, and serum level are highly variable. An adequate trial for each agent tried is key to pharmacologic treatment of neuripathic pain. If pharmacologic treatment is not effective, nerve block using lidocaine, steroid and alcohol and neurectomy must be considered for treatment option.

• 대한치과의사협회지
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• 제49권6호
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• pp.321-326
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• 2011

Neuropathic pain is caused by functional abnonnalities of structural lesions in the peripheral or central nervous system, and occurs without peripheral nociceptor stimulation. Trigeminal neuropathy always pose differential location difficulties as multiple diseases are capablc of producing them: they can be the result of traumatism, tumors, or diseases of the connective tissue, infectious or demyelinating diseases, or may be of idiopathic origin. There are a number of mechanisms described as causing neuropathy. They can be described as ectopic nerve activity, neuroma, ephatic trasmission, change of sodium channel expression, sympathetic activity, central sensitization, and alteration in central inhibition systems. More than I mechanism may be active to create individual clinical presentations. In order to provide better pain control, the mechanism-based approach in treating neuropathic pain should be familiar to physicians.