Oral Surg Oral Med O
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Oral Surg Oral Med O · Jul 1995
Case ReportsTrigeminal neuralgia mimicking odontogenic pain. A report of two cases.
Trigeminal neuralgia or tic douloureux is characterized by paroxysmal episodes of facial pain in the distribution of the trigeminal nerve, although patients may have a variety of symptoms that mimic odontogenic pain. This article presents two cases of trigeminal neuralgia that were misdiagnosed and initially treated endodontically as pain of odontogenic origin. A therapeutic regimen of carbamazepine alleviated the pain in both patients. These two cases demonstrate the importance of having a thorough knowledge of both odontogenic and nonodontogenic causes of orofacial pain, as well as the need for careful diagnosis before undertaking any treatment.