Trigeminal Neuralgia (Facial Nerve Pain) (cont.)
IN THIS ARTICLE
Exams and Tests
- Your doctor must rule out a variety of other causes of facial pain besides trigeminal neuralgia, including various unusual forms of headache.
- Atypical neuralgia
- Myofascial pain
- Temporomandibular facial pain
- Cluster headaches
- Local disease in the sinuses, jaw, throat, and bones of your head
- Atypical neuralgia
- Physical examination of the head will help define
other possible causes of this painful syndrome. Physical findings in people
with trigeminal neuralgia are normal.
- A doctor should complete an initial neurological
examination to determine the presence of other conditions, such as multiple
sclerosis, that are associated with nerve pain syndromes like trigeminal
neuralgia.
- Doctors reserve more extensive testing, such as a CT scan or MRI of the head, for people in whom they suspect an associated condition, such as skull or brain tumor, infection, or neurological condition.
Next: Trigeminal Neuralgia Treatment »
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Trigeminal Neuralgia »
Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a common and potentially disabling pain syndrome, the precise pathophysiology of which remains obscure.
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