• Joanna M Zakrzewska.
• Eastman Dental Hospital, Oral Medicine Department, UCLH NHS Foundation Hospital, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London, UK. j.zakrzewska@ucl.ac.uk
• Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2010 Jun 1;11(8):1239-54.

Importance Of The FieldAlthough trigeminal neuralgia has traditionally been considered the prime neuralgic condition in the face region, other forms of neuropathic pain are now being more frequently recognized and require recognition and a different management approach.Areas Covered In This ReviewThis review principally covers medical management of trigeminal neuralgia; but also included is glossopharyngeal neuralgia, trigeminal neuropathic pain (atypical odontalgia) and burning mouth syndrome. Systematic reviews and guidelines will be discussed.What The Reader Will GainAn update will be provided of drug therapy for these relatively rare facial pains.Take Home MessageTrigeminal neuralgia continues to be best managed using anticonvulsant drugs, the primary ones being carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine; baclofen may be helpful and, of the newly emerging drugs, pregabalin has potential. Glossopharyngeal neuralgia remains managed in the same way as trigeminal neuralgia. Trigeminal neuropathic pain is probably best managed according to guidelines used for the management of neuropathic pain, which include the use of tricyclic antidepressants, gabapentin, pregabalin, duloxetine, venalafaxine and topical lidocaine. Burning mouth syndrome is a neuropathic pain managed initially with topical clonazepam and then with other neuropathic drugs. Patients need to be involved in their management.

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