Statement of Principles concerning trigeminal neuralgia No. 23 of 1995 (Cth)

Instrument No.23 of 1995

Statement of Principles

concerning

TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA

(TIC DOULOUREUX)

ICD CODE: 350.1

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986
subsection 196B(2)

1.         Being of the view that there is sound medical-scientific evidence that indicates that trigeminal neuralgia and death from trigeminal neuralgia can be related to operational service rendered by veterans, peacekeeping service rendered by members of Peacekeeping forces and hazardous service rendered by members of the Forces, the Repatriation Medical Authority determines, under subsection 196B(2) of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act1986, that the factors that must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting trigeminal neuralgia or death from trigeminal neuralgia with the circumstances of that service, are:

(a)       suffering multiple sclerosis before the clinical onset of trigeminal neuralgia; or

(b)       suffering tumors affecting the trigeminal nerve before the clinical onset of trigeminal neuralgia; or

(c)       suffering vascular anomalies affecting the trigeminal nerve before the clinical onset of trigeminal neuralgia; or

(d)       suffering connective tissue diseases before the clinical onset of trigeminal neuralgia; or

(e)       suffering Paget's disease of the skull before the clinical onset of trigeminal neuralgia; or

(f)        suffering cerebral malaria before the clinical onset of trigeminal neuralgia; or

(g)       suffering leprosy with cranial nerve involvement before the clinical onset of trigeminal neuralgia; or

(h)       inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for trigeminal neuralgia.

2.         Subject to clause 3 (below) at least one of the factors set out in paragraphs 1(a) to 1(h) must be related to any service rendered by a person.

3.         The factor set out in paragraph 1(h) applies only where:

(a)       the person’s trigeminal neuralgia was contracted prior to a period, or part of a period, of service to which the factor is related; and

(b)       the relationship suggested between the trigeminal neuralgia and the particular service of a person is a relationship set out in paragraph 8(1)(e), 9(1)(e), 70(5)(d), or 70(5A)(d) of the Act.

4.         For the purposes of this Statement of Principles:

“cerebral malaria” means a complication of falciparum malaria mainly involving the brain, attracting ICD code 084.9;

“connective tissue diseases” means abnormal conditions of tissues such as skin, cartilage, bone and blood vessels which are composed of macromolecules including collagen, elastin and fibrillin, and such conditions including scleroderma (ICD code 710.1), Sjogren's syndrome (ICD code 710.2), systemic lupus erythematosus (ICD code 710.0), dermatomyositis (ICD code 710.3) and mixed connective tissue disease (ICD code 710.8);

“ICD code” means a number assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in the tenth edition of the International Classification of Diseases 9th Revision, effective date of 1 October 1993, copyrighted by the US Commission on Professional and Hospital Activities, and having the Library of Congress number 77-94472;

“leprosy” means a slowly progressive, chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, attracting ICD code 030;

“multiple sclerosis” means a demyelinating disorder in which there is focal destruction of myelin sheaths in the central nervous system accompanied by an inflammatory response, attracting ICD code 340;

“Paget's disease” means a disease in which there is simultaneous osseous hyperplasia and accelerated deossification, attracting ICD code 731.0;

“trigeminal neuralgia” (also known as Tic Douloureux) means a disorder involving the trigeminal nerve, which causes recurrent attacks of excruciating pain lasting from seconds to several minutes, attracting ICD code 350.1;

“tumour” means an abnormal growth, and includes benign and malignant lesions.

Dated this       Twelfth           day of     January          1995

The Common Seal of the    )

Repatriation Medical Authority                   )

was affixed to this instrument   )

in the presence of:   )

KEN DONALD

CHAIRMAN