Evaluation of hematologic inflammation parameters and cranial magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients with trigeminal neuralgia

Authors : Demet Aygün, Hüseyin Doğu

Pages : 197-203

Doi:10.32322/jhsm.1556900

View : 23 | Download : 36

Publication Date : 2025-03-21

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and hematological parameters, including leukocyte-based inflammatory indices, and to explore their association with cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 114 patients with newly diagnosed TN and 114 healthy control groups with comparable demographic characteristics. Clinical, laboratory, and cranial MRI data were collected from hospital records. White matter abnormalities were identified via cranial MRI, and inflammatory indices were calculated as follows: neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR)=Neutrophil count/lymphocyte count, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR)=Platelet count/lymphocyte count, Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII)=Platelet count×neutrophil count/lymphocyte count, and Systemic Inflammatory Response Index (SIRI)=Neutrophil count×monocyte count/lymphocyte count. Results: TN patients showed significantly higher leukocyte counts (7.4±1.8 vs. 6.0±1.9 ×10³/μl, p<0.001), neutrophil counts (4.2±1.1 vs. 2.8±0.8×10³/μl, p<0.001), CRP levels (median: 2.6 vs. 0.8 mg/dl, p<0.001), and inflammatory indices (NLR, PLR, SII, and SIRI; p<0.001 for all) compared to control group. White matter abnormalities were detected in 16.7% of TN patients, predominantly in the frontal (11.4%) and parieto-occipital (7.0%) regions. Patients with white matter abnormalities exhibited significantly higher inflammatory indices than those without. Compared to other inflammatory parameters, SIRI demonstrated the highest diagnostic performance for TN (threshold: 0.7; sensitivity: 84.2%, specificity: 82.5%) and white matter abnormalities (threshold: 1.3; sensitivity: 78.9%, specificity: 82.1%). Conclusion: Inflammatory markers, particularly SIRI, are significantly elevated in TN patients and are associated with white matter abnormalities. These markers may serve as useful non-invasive tools for predicting TN and related MRI findings.
Keywords : Trigeminal nevralji, inflamasyon belirteçleri, beyaz cevher lezyonları, kranial MRI, inflamasyon indeksi