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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffA diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia is primarily based on a description of your pain, including the:
- Type. Pain related to trigeminal neuralgia is sudden, shock-like and brief.
- Location. The parts of your face that are affected will tell your doctor if the trigeminal nerve is involved.
- Triggers. Trigeminal neuralgia-related pain is typically brought on by light stimulation of the cheeks, such as from eating, talking or even encountering a cool breeze.
Tests used to confirm the diagnosis may include:
- A neurological examination. Touching and examining parts of your face can help your doctor determine exactly where the pain is occurring and — if you appear to have trigeminal neuralgia — which branches of the trigeminal nerve may be affected.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An MRI scan of your head can show if multiple sclerosis is causing trigeminal neuralgia.
Facial pain can be caused by many different disorders, so an accurate diagnosis is important. Your doctor may order additional tests to rule out other conditions.
References
- Trigeminal neuralgia fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/trigeminal_neuralgia/detail_trigeminal_neuralgia.htm. Accessed Feb. 18, 2010.
- Bajwa ZH. Trigeminal neuralgia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 18, 2010.
- Sohur US. Trigeminal neuralgia. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2010. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/183930156-4/0/2088/674.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05609-0..00029-0--sc0175_13740. Accessed Feb. 18, 2010.
- Krafft RM. Trigeminal neuralgia. American Family Physician. 2008;77:1291.
- AAN and EFNS guideline on diagnosing and treating trigeminal neuralgia. St. Paul, Minn.: American Academy of Neurology (AAN). http://www.aafp.org/afp/2009/0601/p1001.html. Accessed Feb. 18, 2010.
- Young RF. Trigeminal neuralgia. In: Rakel RE, et al. Conn's Current Therapy 2008. 60th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6642-2..00014-4--sc0075&uniq=183930156&isbn=978-1-4160-6642-2&sid=954069268#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6642-2..00014-4--sc0075%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-1-4160-6642-2. Accessed Feb. 18, 2010.
- Nerve blocks. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=nerveblock#part_nine. Accessed Feb. 18, 2010.
- Singla A. Trigeminal neuralgia. In: Frontera WR, et al. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/184337872-8/955217002/1678/94.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4007-1..50092-4--cesec12_1483. Accessed Feb. 18, 2010.
- Swanson JW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 1, 2010.
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