title: [Evaluation of therapeutic effectiveness and safety of botulinum toxin type A in the treatment of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia in patients older than 70 years].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate therapeutic effectiveness and safety of botulinum toxin type A in the treatment of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia in patients older than 70 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  The total 64 patents were involved from neurology clinic and inpatient department from Aug 2008 to Sep 2013. They were divided into two groups according to the age (older than 70 years versus younger than 60 years. The therapeutic dose, safety, effectiveness were compared between two groups. Visual analog scores were employed to measure the degree of pain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean dosage was (88 ± 30) U in the group aged above 70 years old, and (72 ± 33) U in the group aged below 60 years old respectively. There was no significant difference of dosage between the two groups. The average visual analog score of all patients was (7.7 ± 2.2) before the treatment and decreased to (4.4 ± 2.9) one month after the treatment. To be precise, the average visual analog score of the group aged above 70 years old was (8.2 ± 1.9) before and (4.5 ± 3.2) after the treatment, and the visual analog score of the group aged below 60 years old was (7.2 ± 2.4) before and (4.4 ± 2.5) after the treatment. The effect of botulinum toxin type A in the treatment of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia was considered statistically significant. The D-value of visual analog score in the elderly group was (3.5 ± 3.6), and (2.8 ± 3.5) in the younger group. There was no significant difference in the D-value between the two groups. Five patients had transient minor side effects in the former group and two patients had transient minor side effects in latter group. There was no significant difference in the incidence rate of side effects between the two groups (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Botulinum toxin type A is safe and effective in the treatment of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia for the patients older than 70 years and the dosages of it are approximate to the patients under 60 years old.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, the Second Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou 215004, China.
authors.forename: Yingying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, the Second Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou 215004, China.
authors.forename: Qilin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, the Second Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou 215004, China.
authors.forename: Chengjie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, the Second Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou 215004, China.
authors.forename: Weidong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, the Second Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou 215004, China.
authors.forename: Xuping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, the Second Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou 215004, China; Email: lwfwxx@126.com.
authors.forename: Weifeng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Luo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain; D010147:Pain Measurement; D014277:Trigeminal Neuralgia
chemical_list: D019274:Botulinum Toxins, Type A