The efficacy of botulinum toxin for the treatment of trigeminal and postherpetic neuralgia: a systematic review with meta-analyses

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of a botulinum toxin type A (BoTN-A) in treating trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Study Design Three databases were searched: Medline, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. The search was restricted to English-language randomized, placebo-controlled trials. Three review authors evaluated the cases for risk of bias. Results Six studies were eligible for inclusion. Pooled results showed a difference in post-treatment pain intensity of −3.009 (95% confidence interval −4.566 to −1.453; P Conclusions Although the studies had unclear or high risk of bias, moderate evidence regarding the efficacy of BoTN-A in treating TN and PHN was found. BoTN-A might be an alternative treatment to those patients who are either unable to manage their pain medically or would like adjunct therapy.