5th International Conference on ENT: Head and Neck Surgery

Guilherme Souza Mello is a medical student at the Federal University of Sergipe (UFS), Brazil. He achieved national distinction by receiving the "Talento Universitário" award from CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel), the premier national agency responsible for evaluating and fostering scientific research and graduate education in Brazil. Actively engaged in academic leadership, he serves as the President of the Academic League of Palliative Medicine and contributes to the National Marketing Team for the National Medicine Olympiad (OMED). His primary academic and research interests focus on palliative care, the study of pain mechanisms, and their multidisciplinary clinical consequences, supported by peer-reviewed contributions across medical congresses. Guilherme is dedicated to integrating foundational medical sciences with comprehensive, patient-centered care.

Introduction: Trigeminal neuralgia represents a complex diagnostic challenge in craniofacial and otolaryngological practice, frequently leading to misdiagnosis and inappropriate interventions prior to specialized confirmation.

Objective: To investigate the correlations among pain intensity, catastrophizing levels, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality in patients with trigeminal neuralgia.Methods: This study was conducted through a systematic review of cross-sectional and observational epidemiological data. A comprehensive literature search was performed across PubMed and SciELO databases (2013–2025) using the descriptors trigeminal neuralgia, facial pain, and comorbidities. Following stringent inclusion criteria, relevant studies underwent multidimensional analysis utilizing validated clinical instruments: the Visual Analog Scale, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

Results: Synthesis of the selected epidemiological data revealed widespread cognitive catastrophizing (73.7%, median score 32.5) and poor sleep quality (86.8%) driven by rumination (p<0.05), alongside significant positive correlations with anxiety (28.9%) and depression (34.2%). Pain intensity showed significant statistical correlations with catastrophizing (p=0.03), anxiety (p=0.04), and depression (p=0.01). Crucially, diagnostic delays frequently drove 30% to 60% of patients toward iatrogenic procedures before specialized confirmation.

Conclusion: These insights underscore the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach in ENT practice to effectively address the profound psychosocial burden of complex facial pain disorders.