Quantitative sensory testing in trigeminal traumatic neuropathic pain and persistent idiopathic facial pain.

The objective of this article was to investigate, with a systematic protocol of quantitative sensory testing, patients with persistent idiopathic facial pain (PIFP) and others with trigeminal traumatic neuropathic pain (TTN) compared to controls. Thirty patients with PIFP, 19 with TTN, and 30 controls were evaluated on subjective numbness and dysesthesia and with a systematic protocol of quantitative sensory testing for thermal evaluation (cold and warm), mechanical detection (touch and pinpricks for mechanical pain), superficial pain thresholds, and corneal reflex. We found that PIFP and TTN had numbness and dysesthesia higher than controls (p<0.

Facial sensibility of patients with trigeminal neuralgias.

Objectives: Idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN) is an excruciating shock-like paroxysmal pain restricted to the trigeminal area of innervation, with discrete loss of sensibility (thermal, tactile and painful). Trigeminal postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a neuropathic pain at the trigeminal territory that persists after Herpes zoster infection, which also is associated to sensorial compromise. The objective of this study was to evaluate the somesthetic facial sensibility (pain, thermal and tactile) and to compare the findings between PHN and ITN.

Evaluation of the sensation in patients with trigeminal post-herpetic neuralgia.

Background: Post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) is one complication after herpes zoster infection, which may affect the facial superficial sensitivity.

Methods: Eighteen patients with PHN were interviewed and evaluated according to a systematized sensitivity approach, including mechanical, thermal and pain.

Results: The pain location was V1 in 15 patients.