differential diagnosis
Last reviewed 01/2018
- 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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