Abstract

Trigeminal neuralgia consists of paroxysms of severe shooting pain within the territory of one or more divisions of the trigeminal nerve, often triggered by stimuli such as touch or cold in a particular area. Examination reveals no objective sensory or motor abnormalities. At first, the paroxysms occur in bouts lasting a few weeks or months separated by months of freedom. Young people with trigeminal neuralgia may have a lesion of the fifth nerve, or multiple sclerosis.