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Trigeminal Neuralgia
Medical Questions » Trigeminal Neuralgia
| Name: Trigeminal Neuralgia |
| Also known as: Tic Doloureux |
| Inflammation of the trigeminal nerve which leaves the brain and passes through a hole in the skull just beside the ear. It fans out across the face, to receive sensations from the skin of the face, and to give movement instructions to the muscles in the face. |
Causes of Trigeminal Neuralgia
Occasionally may be caused by a brain or nerve disease such as multiple sclerosis, or a tumor that presses on the nerve, but usually no specific cause. |
Symptoms of Trigeminal Neuralgia
Sudden severe pain in the face which often arises beside the mouth and spreads almost instantly up to the eye, down to the jaw, and across to the ear. May last a few seconds or several minutes and only one side of the face is affected. Attacks may be started by cold winds, eating, yawning, or touching the face. They tend to come in episodes, with attacks coming every few minutes for a few days or weeks, and then disappearing for a time. Unfortunately, each successive attack tends to last longer than the preceding one, and the pain-free periods become shorter. |
Tests for Trigeminal Neuralgia
No tests available to prove the diagnosis. |
Treatment for Trigeminal Neuralgia
Pain-killers are not particularly effective, but anti-epileptic drugs such as carbamazepinc and phenytoin are quite successful. If these medications prove unsuccessful, surgical exploration of the nerve may find an area of compression or abnormality as a cause of the pain. As a last resort, the nerve may be destroyed to give relief from intractable pain, but this leaves the face numb and paralyzed.
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Complications of Trigeminal Neuralgia of its treatment
None. |
Likely Outcome of Trigeminal Neuralgia
Control usually reasonable, but cure difficult. Spontaneous, permanent cures do occur. |
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