A 58-year-old woman comes to the clinic for evaluation of a sharp, intermittent, severe, stabbing facial pain that she describes as, "like an electric shock." The pain occurs only on one side of her face; it seems to be triggered when she chews, brushes her teeth, or sometimes when she merely touches her face. There is no numbness associated with the pain. What is most likely causing her pain?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Her symptoms are characteristic of trigeminal neuralgia, caused by damage to the fifth cranial nerve, which carries impulses of touch, pain, pressure, and temperature to the brain from the face and jaw.

A 58-Year-Old Woman Comes to the Clinic for Evaluation of a Sharp