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Global Incidence and Prevalence of Trigeminal Neuralgia, 1945-2024: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression Analysis
Yi Deun Jeong1,2, Yeona Jo1,3, Yejun Son1,3
1Center for Digital Health, Medical Science Research Institute, Kyung Hee University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Background And Purpose:
Although trigeminal neuralgia (TN) imposes a substantial burden on quality of life and mental health, epidemiological estimates of its incidence and prevalence remain limited. Thus, we aimed to comprehensively assess the epidemiological and clinical features of TN from 1945 to 2024.
Methods:
A comprehensive literature search was performed using PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Google Scholar databases up to January 22, 2025, with search terms related to "trigeminal neuralgia." TN was defined according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD)-1, Rushton and Olafson criteria, and International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes prior to 2004, which primarily relied on clinical features for diagnosis, whereas the ICHD-2, ICHD-3, Read codes, and ICD codes after 2004 were grouped together, as these criteria incorporated imaging modalities into the diagnostic process. A random-effects model was applied to calculate pooled estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the incidence, prevalence and lifetime prevalence of TN. In addition, meta-regression models were also fitted using inverse-variance weighting.
Results:
A total of 17 eligible studies, comprising over 170 million participants and 109,070 patients with TN, were included in the analysis. Global pooled incidence of TN was estimated at 25.33 cases per 100,000 person-years (95% CI, 11.87-54.02), while the global pooled annual prevalence was 45.38 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (15.41-133.61), and the global pooled lifetime prevalence was 108.43 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (30.54-384.18). Incidence and prevalence estimates tended to be higher in females than in males, more often right-sided, and more frequent in the maxillary and mandibular divisions than in the ophthalmic division; however, the certainty of these subgroup differences was low. Lastly, the incorporation of imaging modalities into diagnostic criteria may have contributed to the increased prevalence of TN.
Conclusions:
This study highlights substantial global variations in TN incidence and prevalence, with how the evolving diagnostic criteria affects the epidemiological features of TN.
