the differential diagnosis facial pain includes (1):
trigeminal neuralgia
atypical facial pain
trigeminal neuropathy - persistent pain; associated sensory loss
dental causes e.g. dental abscess - localized; related to biting or hot or cold foods; visible abnormalities on oral examination
local causes of eye pain
glaucoma, orbital cellulitis
post herpetic facial pain - continuous pain; tingling; history of zoster; often first division
local injury to the trigeminal nerve
facial trauma
fractures of the facial bones
sinus surgery
tumor infiltration of the nerve anywhere anterior to the gasserian ganglion
glossopharyngeal neuralgia - pain in tongue, mouth, or throat; brought on by swallowing, talking, or chewing
vascular causes of facial pain
temporal or giant-cell arteritis - persistent pain; temporal; often bilateral; jaw claudication
migraine - pain in tongue, mouth, or throat; brought on by swallowing, talking, or chewing
autoimmune disorders
systemic lupus erythematosus
it is important to exclude other causes of trigeminal neuropathy (secondary trigeminal neuralgia) before reaching what is essentially, a clinical diagnosis.(1,2)
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