Re: atypical facial pain

Posted By CCF Neurosurgery MD/gm on May 28, 1998 at 20:09:20:

In Reply to: atypical facial pain posted by nancy on May 28, 1998 at 00:20:52:






Would you tell me the difference between atypical facial pain and atypical trigeminal neuralgia? They call me atypical facial pain because it is like clusters BUT follow the trigeminal nerve in the face. But I'm not ATN.

Dear Nancy:
Trigeminal neuralgia is a purely sensory painful sensation that is usually
described as a sharp shooting pain along one (or more) distrbution of the
trigeminal nerve. It does not cross the midline and does not have other
components associated with it. Atypical facial pain can include other
symptoms such as redness, heat, or symptoms that do not conform to the
anatomy of the trigeminal nerve. The term atypical trigeminal neuralgia
is often used as a synonim for atypical facial pain but this is more of a
personal preference and may actually be a misnomer.
I hope this explanation helps.
Good Luck!